Animal rights are on the agenda in China.
Even as a large dog cull by local authorities in the central Shaanxi province has claimed the lives of 37,000 canines so far in an effort to halt the spread of rabies, the central government is drafting the country’s first animal welfare law, which could ultimately impose criminal penalties for animal cruelty. Currently, only animals on China’s endangered species list are protected, and dog culls sometimes use brutal killing methods such as beatings or live burials, which draw corresponding public ire.
Pet ownership and awareness of animal rights have been on the rise among China’s middle class in recent years. When Beijing imposed a “one dog policy” and barred ownership of large dogs in 2006, mass protests among pet owners erupted, and President Hu Jintao ultimately stepped in to put an end to the crackdown on “illegal” dogs. Late last year, an investigative report found that stray cats from the eastern city of Nanjing were being rounded up, packed in crates and sent to south China, where they end up on the dinner table. The news drew harsh criticism on China’s Internet and inspired protests among animal lovers from Beijing to southern China, whose residents are often stereotyped for their omnivorous habits. Read More »