News on Animal Protection in China:
- November 6, 2020 – Breaking news from animal activists in Jinhua, Zhejiang: the “Jinhua Lanxi Dog Meat Festival” has been banned. The animal activists lodged complaints on the Governmental Affairs Platform of Zhejiang Province, and investigated the festival in person to gather evidence. On November 6, the activists and officials of Jinhua City reached a consensus on banning the Dog Meat Festival.
- November 8, 2020 – Important update from animal activists in Hangzhou: The Zhuji Market Supervision Bureau has banned all dog meat markets, this is a huge breakthrough thanks to the tireless effort by Hangzhou’s animal activists.
- The Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Zhejiang Province replied to a citizen inquiry (No. LD20200080235990) stating that “at present, neither the country nor our province has regulated dog slaughter and quarantine procedures, so it is prohibited to slaughter dogs and sell dog meat”.
- The “Regulations on the Administration of Dog Raising in Wenzhou” came into effect on July 1, 2020. Article 19 of the regulations clearly stated that “abandonment, abuse and killing of dogs are prohibited”.
Editor’s note: As the country’s fourth economically advanced province, Zhejiang Province is catching up with Shenzhen. Recently, animal activists in Zhejiang have reported that the slaughter and sale of dog meat has been prohibited in Zhejiang Province. It is just one step away from a complete prohibition of dog meat consumption.
Why did Zhejiang’s animal protection advance exponentially all of a sudden? The key is the academic team led by Professor Qian Yefang, providing theoretical support and legal assistance to volunteers, making the front-line activists even more persuasive. Their complaints, reports, and negotiations became more effective. Their story may serve as a model for other animal protection groups to learn from.
WDA Regional Director of Mainland China
Sky Liu
November 10, 2020