Recent news on animal protection in China:
1. In one community of Shanghai, the overwhelming number of stray dogs is affecting residents’ lives and travel. At the beginning of May, the public prosecutor of the People’s Procuratorate of Jing’an District, Shanghai, joined the street office, police station, neighborhood committee, and community residents in the district to work together to carry out stray dog remediation. After the rectification is completed, the lives of residents are guaranteed, but how the stray dogs that were accommodated can be better placed troubled the prosecutors. The Public Welfare Prosecutor’s Office made contact with a private stray dog rescue shelter. After checking the on-site environment, staff qualifications, and working procedures, the stray dogs were delivered to the rescue shelter for care, and they indicated that they would regularly visit the stray dogs to follow up the situation.
Editor’s note: This is a warm ending that surprised most people. Even the head of the rescue agency thought he had encountered a scammer when he received the call. In the past, the “rectification” of law enforcement agencies would have been the end of the story. The prosecutors have taken one more step forward for the dogs, and a big step forward for the “civilization” of Greater Shanghai.
2. According to the information provided by the volunteers, the relevant departments of the National People’s Congress have requested all localities to clean up the local legislation related to the slaughter of livestock and poultry. Anything involving dogs shall be invalidated. Because dogs have been removed from the livestock and poultry catalogs, all local regulations regarding eating dogs and slaughtering dogs have been invalidated.
Editor’s note: The “National Catalogue of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources” promulgated in May 2020 has begun to play a role. A nationwide ban on dog slaughter has been reached, and a comprehensive ban on sales and consumption is just around the corner!
WDA Regional Director of Mainland China
Sky Liu
31 May 2021