Beijing raid latest battle in fight against trade in cats and dogs
Print Edition
A POLICE raid in Beijing’s Changping District over the weekend found 34 dogs of various breeds, including one with an identification chip.
Police worked with local animal welfare groups to rescue the animals and take them to a shelter in the capital.
Over the past two years, the dog and cat meat trade has developed into a well-segmented industry that consists of stealing, collecting, shipping, slaughtering and selling the meat and fur.
As public concern has grown over unquarantined animal products and their potential threat to food safety, China’s law enforcement officers have been battling the illicit dog and cat meat trade nationwide
Earlier this month, police closed down a holding site for stolen pet dogs in Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province. More than 30 dogs were handed over to a local animal charity — the Qiming Animal Protection Center — where they were reunited with their owners or adopted.
Charity officials said the site was well-known as a depository for stolen pets before the animals were killed and sold for meat.
In July, a truckload of 200 cats and more than 100 dogs was intercepted by police in Zhuzhou in central China’s Hunan Province. The driver was fined 2,000 yuan (US$300).
On August 7, a gang of 24 dog thieves were prosecuted in east China’s Anhui Province for producing and selling toxic or hazardous food, theft and hiding or concealing the proceeds.
Under Chinese law, anyone producing and selling toxic or hazardous food can face the death penalty. Stealing pets and working animals, as well as the unlicensed keeping of dogs of unknown origin without a license are crimes.
Unlawful practices involved in the meat trade such as trading, transporting, butchering unquarantined animals and processing and selling the meat, are being tackled by various law enforcement departments.
From the safety of the food we eat to social stability, every link in China’s illegal meat trade chain breaks the law, said An Xiang, co-founder of Beijing Dexiang Law Firm.
In 2015, a new Food Safety Law came into force in China that established higher standards for ensuring public health and safety.
Consuming illegal dog and cat meat can bring severe health risks, said Dr Liu Lang, of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Association of Veterinarians of China.
In June, the Ministry of Agriculture decided to improve quarantine provisions regarding dogs and cats and tighten certification to combat the undocumented transport of unquarantined animals.
The ministry said it will improve quarantine in response to a national legislator’s suggestion on ending this kind of meat trade.
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