Dogs and Cats Off Menus in China?

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Jan 26th 2010 @ 2:00PM

Photo: Getty Images.

Under a new law against animal abuse in China, individuals caught eating either cat or dog meat could face a fine of 5,000 yuan (approximately $735) or up to 15 days in prison. Businesses involved in the practice could be fined up to 500,000 yuan (or $7,325), according to the Times Online.

The draft going to Parliament in April would be the first law against animal abuse by a new, increasingly animal-loving Chinese society that no longer has the taste for canine and feline meat.

Dog meat appeared in Chinese cuisine as early as the third century B.C. and is long believed to provide warmth to those who eat it. Restaurants offering dog -- or "fragrant meat" as it's often poetically referred to -- appear throughout the entire nation. Its "warming" property makes it particularly popular in winter stews and the frigid northeastern region of China.

Cat meat, however, is primarily consumed by the people of the southern Guangdong province. Cat is not as popular because of an old superstition that the feline will come back at night to retaliate.

Waking up to a vengeful minx? No thanks. We'll leave the tail-wagging eating to Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain.

Filed Under: Food Politics, News
Tags: cat meat, chinese cuisine, dog meat, fragrant meat

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Reader comments (Page 2 of 2)

1-27-2010 @1:12PM arthur jackson said... I wouldn't care what they did with dogs and cats. M. Vick went to prison for abusing dogs (pit bulls should be dead by any means necessary), but we will support other people in eating them!!!!! All dogs and cats should be put to death. They serve no purpose. I'd rather have a child, at least they grow up and move away and are able to care for themselves!!!!!
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2-12-2010 @12:56PM Jim said... Unless they're your child, in which case they end up on welfare and I end up caring for them through taxes. Plus unlike your child, dogs generally live only 10-15 years, and unless the owner IS your child, it will likely be spayed/neutered thus preventing further overpopulation.

I'd rather have the dog thanks.

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1-28-2010 @2:21PM Dave said... China needs to focus on fixing their human rights problems before they start tackling the animal rights stuff.

If they really feel the need to ban the practice of eating dogs and cats, then they may as well ban the practice of eating cow and chicken while they're at it. It's all meat.
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2-12-2010 @12:40PM Jim said... Giuliani cleaned up New York City by essentially removing prostitutes and porn shops. It's the little things that makes the difference.

How do you talk/walk in areas where there are buildings with broken out windows, half falling apart? Now think about how you act in more high scale areas. Our environment plays a role in our behavior, and it's not something you can legislate. You can't legislate everyone be nice to each other, but you can look at legislating things that might lead to situations where people might *not* be nice to each other.

That's what Giuliani did, and I think a decision like this by the Chinese helps not only the cause of animal rights directly, but the cause of human rights indirectly.