It is a known fact among the dog community that China is not that friendly towards dogs. There is even a yearly festival in the country that would legitimize killing and eating dog meat. Dog lovers opposed this festival, calling it barbaric as well as inhumane. But recently, China released a new set of guidelines about dogs.
The guidelines contained an announcement that the country is rethinking of reclassifying dogs as pets. In the past, dogs are treated as a commodity in China. As such, dog meat is readily available in the market. According to animal rights advocates, this practice has long been part of China’s custom and tradition.
But ever since the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, China is taking pro-active actions in dealing with animals. The local humane society in China welcomed this development, calling it a game-changer. Wendy Higgins said this is a long-time coming for the country and is a victory of animal rights advocates in China.
Wendy, however, believes that this calls for more vigilance in the country. For Wendy, as long as kill shelters exist in China, the guidelines are but a farce. Wendy even challenged the Chinese government to hasten the implementation of the guidelines.
According to Wendy, several animal rights advocates have long fought for the country to recognize the rights of dogs. Wendy added that they are taking the guidelines with a grain of salt but, at the same time, welcome its submission.
Under the guidelines, the Ministry of Agriculture noted that dogs are companions of human beings, so it is a no-brainer to treat the dogs as a companion and not as a commodity. Aside from these guidelines, China has also recently banned breeding and trading of dogs so they could move forward as a civilized society.
Credits to Today News 24/7.