Eating cats, dogs could be outlawed

• Source: Global Times
• [02:40 January 27 2010]
• Comments

Not everyone is in favor of the ban, though. Dog and cat meat has been consumed for so long because they have their share of fans.

"If we should ban eating dogs, why not ban eating pork and beef? Securing the lives of many poor people now is much more important and urgent," argued Du Quanbin, from Beijing.

The manager of Caiji Dog Meat Restaurant in Guangzhou was defiant in telling the Global Times that "the proposed law is totally unfeasible here, because eating dogs and cats has been part of the Guangdong culture for so long."

"I don't believe the draft could be passed, nor would I change the way we operate our restaurant," he said.

And the owner of the Yanjie Xicheng Dog Meat Restaurant in Yanji, Jilin Province, surnamed Piao, told the Global Times that the proposed rule may not have a big impact on people of Han descent, but it would definitely be bad news for Korean minorities because eating dogs is part of their dining culture.

The neighboring Koreas have the same culinary culture. In March 2009, the South Korea-based Korea Times reported that some 9,000 tons of dog are served at about 6,500 restaurants across the country annually.

Shi Yufan, an employee with China National Native Produce & Animal By-products Import & Export Corp told the Global Times that her company welcomes the rules, even if it is engaged in animal product-related business.

"It's everyone's responsibility to treat animals well and use them in the most humane way … because we human beings take too much from them but never learn to repay them," she said.

Some lawyers also questioned the draft's feasibility.

Lu Junxiang, a lawyer with the Beijing-based Dongwei Law Firm, said there is a very low possibility that the draft will become law.

"A law has to take the interests of the mass public into consideration," he said, adding that the draft fails to consider the people who eat dog and cat meat as a folk custom.

Chang's team unveiled a law draft last year to stress the importance of animal welfare, referring to their right to life, a sound living environment, and good physical and mental health.

After receiving a lot of criticism centering on arguments of the lack of people's welfare, Chang's team decided to focus their drafts on the "anti-cruelty" of animals.

He also conceded that the draft will respect some local cultures such as the Koreans' eating habits, and may exclude them from the ban.

However, this exclusion may give rise to new questions, such as who should have the privilege to be exempt, analysts said.

Guo Qiang, Song Shengxia and Yin Hang contributed to this story