China Drafts First Animal Welfare Legislation
29 September 2009
by Anai Rhoads
AnaiRhoads.org -- We want to take a moment to commend China for its recent effort in protecting animal rights. China recently drafted their first animal welfare legislation, which, if passed, would make cruelty to animals in the country a punishable offense.
China has been notoriously known for its animal abuse. Animal rights advocates from around the world have honed in on the country and have desperately tried to convince China to end their dismissive view on killing animals.
This month, a report of another rabies scare resulted in the culling of thousands upon thousands of healthy canines in several cities. An estimated 40,000 dogs in Hanzhong were slaughtered alone.
India tops the list in rabies cases, putting China second on the list. According to the Ministry of Health, approximately 2,400 deaths are a result of rabies infections in China annually.
Apart from what was deemed as rabies prevention, China accepted the cull, stating that it was also its way of thinning out the stray dog population. The dogs were beaten by hand, sticks, were stabbed and had stones thrown at them. This devastating action could have been easily avoided if this legislation were in place.
Both canines and felines are a source of food in China. Crammed into cages, they are often visible at vending markets where the animals cry out for someone to notice them. The animals are beaten to "soften their meat" then boiled while alive before being prepared. Depending on the day and location, tourists get an up and close view of this process. If they are lucky, they only see a vast display of animals, dangling off hooks as they are window shopping.
Animals have been long disregarded all over the world. From entertainment to consumption, animals bear the brunt for a human's appetite. However, no country has ever been as directly involved with animal suffering as much as China has.
This legislation is crucial to changing the minds of those who use, abuse and kill animals in China. The draft itself outlines guidelines that will ensure proper medical care for animals, which include all wildlife, lab animals, farm animals and companion animals. In addition, it has language that protects animals during transport and humane slaughter as well.
Suggestions were made for China's Criminal Law was also prepared, where animal abuse of any kind would be punishable by law. Under the current law, only endangered species are protected.
The draft was composed and developed by Professor Chang Jiwen at China's Academy of Social Sciences. Once the public comment period is over, the draft law will then be proposed to the National People's Congress, the legislative body of China.
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