As horrifying as that sounds to dog lovers, It's a long-standing tradition in China and in Korea, and Vietnam too, to eat dogs and cats. Dogs and cats are raised solely for meat, are taken off the street, and are also, (it is claimed) stolen from owners, so that Chinese restaurants can put them on the menu. Every day, cagefulls of dogs are slaughtered and eaten. .
During the Beijing Olympics, Chinese officials ordered all dog meat removed from menus at local markets to avoid traumatizing international visitors.
The Chinese government is said to be considering legislation that would make eating cats and dogs illegal.
Individual violators could face up to 15 days in prison and a small fine, and businesses found guilty of selling dog or cat meat would risk fines up to the equivalent of $73,500.
Sources report that the law prohibiting cat and dog meat could take as long as a decade to pass.The legislation is gaining support as the people who own pets is on the rise, but cultural mentality is slow to change, and it may take a generation or two before dogs and cats are no longer seen as food sources.
"The dogs you raise at home, you shouldn't eat," a Chinese butcher explains in a CNN interview. "The kind raised for eating, we can eat those."
For more information on what's happening in animal welfare in Asia, try these sites:
Asian Animal Protection Network
Animal Welfare Legislation in China : the Petition Site
Street Animal Welfare in China: Humane Society International
China.org.cn
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