China has moved towards a full ban on eating dogs by stating they should not be regarded as livestock for human consumption, report the Telegraph.
In a move that will be welcomed by animal welfare campaigners, the country’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has revised a list of livestock animals which can be traded for meat.
China temporarily restricted wildlife trading and consumption in February, in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak thought to have originated in ‘wet’ markets where live animals are sold alongside slaughtered meat.
The Ministry of Agriculture explicitly signalled a move towards a permanent ban on the sale of dog meat in a draft document published on Wednesday and open to public consultation until May 8.
“With the progress of human civilisation and the public’s concern and preference for animal protection, dogs have changed from traditional domestic animals to companion animals,” the document stated.
“Dogs are generally not regarded as livestock and poultry around the world, and China should also not manage them as livestock and poultry.”
Although dogs and cats were not on the official livestock list in the past, it is the first time the government has commented on dogs.
The move comes ahead of the Yulin Dog Meat Festival held in the city of Yulin, Guangxi, during the summer solstice, at which festival goers eat dog meat and lychees.
Thousands of dogs are reportedly consumed during the 10-day festival, which began in 2009, and it has been heavily criticised both in China and abroad.
Festival organisers claim that the dogs are killed humanely, but opponents say the animals are treated cruelly, with graphic videos showing dogs being boiled, skinned, and blow-torched alive,
Animal rights campaigners have welcomed the move by the Chinese authorities.
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