This Chinese city is the first to ban eating dogs and cats
Eating dogs and cats. It’s almost unimaginable to us, but in China our loyal four-legged friends really are considered a delicacy. But the tide is turning: in Shenzhen (a city near Hong Kong), a ban will take effect on 1 May.
The ban on eating dogs and cats is a response to the coronavirus. Scientists suspect that the COVID-19 virus was transmitted from animals to humans. The first infections occurred at a food market in Wuhan, where bats, snakes, civet cats and other animals were sold.
No wild animals
At the end of February, Chinese President Xi Jinping already announced a ban on the sale and consumption of wild animals. The megacity of Shenzhen is going one step further and is now also banning the consumption of dogs and cats.
Hong Kong and Taiwan
“Dogs and cats, as pets, have a much closer relationship with people than other animals. The consumption of dogs and cats is also prohibited in developed countries and in Hong Kong and Taiwan,” said the Shenzhen city government.
The ban will take effect on 1 May. It remains to be seen whether the rest of China will follow Shenzhen’s example.
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