Dog and Cat Meat Ban?

Postby maberi » March 9th, 2010, 1:04 pm

---- Pictures in the link below. Not graphic but a bit disturbing none the less

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/0 ... tml?hpt=C2




Guangzhou, China (CNN) -- Dogs bark and whine behind high chain-link fences, some of them gnawing the wire so hard they bleed at the mouths while cats packed into crowded cages cower in fear if anyone approaches.

This isn't a pet store -- it's a meat market in Guangzhou, a city in southern China where eating cats and dogs is common practice.

At the Han River Dog Meat Restaurant in central Guangzhou, diners can choose from a long list of menu items, including dog soup, dog steak, dog with tofu and more. In the kitchen, the chef chops up meat for dog hot pot, one of the more popular dishes. Most customers like it spicy.

"Dog meat is good for your health and metabolism," explains Li, the hostess who declined to give her first name. "In the summer it helps you sweat."

Should cat and dog meat be banned?

But these local restaurants may have to find a new specialty. The Chinese government is considering legislation that would make eating cats and dogs illegal.

Professor Chang Jiwen of the Chinese Academy of the Social Sciences is one of the law's top campaigners. "Cats and dogs are loyal friends to humans," he said. "A ban on eating them would show China has reached a new level of civilization."

Eating dog meat is a long-standing culinary tradition not just in China, but also Korea. Cat meat can be found on the menu in China, Vietnam and even parts of South America.
I would never eat dog meat
--Louisa Yong, cocker spaniel owner

The Chinese government has signaled a willingness to take the meat off the market. To avoid upsetting international visitors during the Beijing Olympics, officials ordered dog meat off the menus at local markets. Officials in Guangzhou have warned vendors to stop selling it ahead of the Asian Games which will be held there later this year.

The ban on eating dog and cat meat is part of a larger proposal to toughen laws on animal welfare. Individual violators could face up to 15 days in prison and a small fine. Businesses found guilty of selling the meat risk fines up to 500,000 yuan ($73,500.)

The legislation is gaining support from China's growing number of pet owners. With living standards rising and disposable income growing, more Guangzhou residents are investing in house pets.

"I would never eat dog meat," said Louisa Yong, as she clutches her pet cocker spaniel. "It's so cruel!"

Meat vendors have a different view.

"The dogs you raise at home, you shouldn't eat," said Pan, a butcher who also declined to give his first name. "The kind raised for eating, we can eat those."

Many of the dogs and cats sold for meat are specially raised on farms. But Chang said there is always a chance they're someone's lost or stolen pet.

In anticipation of the new ban, dog and cat meat has become more difficult to find, though some vendors say they will keep selling it as long as they can.

"The legislation will definitely affect our restaurant," said Li. "We'll just wait to see the result."

And it seems restaurants don't necessarily need to change their menus anytime soon. According to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the law prohibiting cat and dog meat could take as long as a decade to pass. Until then it's a la carte, from the cage into the kitchen.
Look beyond what your own eyes see
User avatar
maberi
I Save My Empty Calories For The Bottle
 
Posts: 2781
Location: rochester, ny

Postby amazincc » March 9th, 2010, 1:37 pm

maberi wrote:The Chinese government has signaled a willingness to take the meat off the market. To avoid upsetting international visitors during the Beijing Olympics, officials ordered dog meat off the menus at local markets. Officials in Guangzhou have warned vendors to stop selling it ahead of the Asian Games which will be held there later this year.


While I, personally, find the thought of eating a dog or cat extremely repulsive (because of the pet factor)... would we stop serving beef in this country as not to upset any people from India, for example?
Somehow I don't think that would go over well. And some of our cattle is treated no better than those dogs and cats. :|
"When in Rome... do as the Romans do..." or the Chinese, in this case... international visitors don't HAVE to order what's on the menu.
User avatar
amazincc
Jessica & Mick
 
Posts: 9814
Location: Holding them both in my heart.

Postby PetieMarie22 » March 9th, 2010, 1:53 pm

I WISH I could be a vegitarian sometimes! I'd proably starve to death though. :sad2:
Kathleen (and George)
Petie Marie - spoiled rotten Pit Bull Terrier
Sunshine Honeysuckle Smith - DSH cat that lives under the couch
Sasha Marie - Bombay Mix = DIVA
User avatar
PetieMarie22
Hyper Adolescent Bully
 
Posts: 270
Location: Rochester NY

Postby Malli » March 9th, 2010, 3:16 pm

yeah...

While the thought of it makes me sick and sad, its a different country and a different culture, and there will be things that we in the Western world do that will repulse others.
I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day, tomorrow doesn't look good either.
_______________________________________
"You didn't know of the magical powers of the break stick? It's up there with genies and Harry Potter as far as magic levels go." SisMorphine 01/07/07
User avatar
Malli
E-I-E-I-O!
 
Posts: 6341
Location: CANADA EH?

Postby LMM » March 9th, 2010, 3:43 pm

I guess I don't have as much of a problem with eating them (okay I really do!) as I do with the way they are treated. I understand different cultures do different things but there is no excuse for the inhumane treatment.

And I feel the same way for the treatment of cows, chickens, turkeys, etc. we eat here.
User avatar
LMM
I'll Kick Your Ass
 
Posts: 1834
Location: Bitch please....

Postby mnp13 » March 9th, 2010, 5:19 pm

The treatment bothers me, but meat is meat. The only difference is cultural perspective.
Michelle

Inside me is a thin woman trying to get out. I usually shut the bitch up with a martini.
User avatar
mnp13
Evil Overlord
 
Posts: 17234
Location: Rochester, NY

Postby iluvk9 » March 9th, 2010, 6:05 pm

I do not think anyone should be eating Fido or Fluffy. Yes, I know cultures are different, but I still do not think mammals that are domesticated should be on your plate.
iluvk9
I'm Cougarific!
 
Posts: 14900
Location: New York

Postby maberi » March 9th, 2010, 9:28 pm

mnp13 wrote:The treatment bothers me, but meat is meat. The only difference is cultural perspective.


Thoughts on cannibalism the same?
Look beyond what your own eyes see
User avatar
maberi
I Save My Empty Calories For The Bottle
 
Posts: 2781
Location: rochester, ny


Return to All the news that's fit to print

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users

cron