Chen Yong, Hong Kong deputy to the National People’s Congress and Hong Kong Legislative Council member

It is proposed that the Central Government should legislate for a total ban on the consumption of companion animals at the national level in a gradual and orderly manner, and step up efforts to encourage local governments at all levels to legislate as soon as possible according to the actual situation.

The State should make full use of its strong publicity and education platform to inform the public that dogs and cats are human companions and explain in more detail the risks of consuming dog and cat meat, so as to gradually change the public’s habit of consuming dog and cat meat. To promote animal care in primary and secondary schools and kindergartens so as to enhance the love for animals of the new generation.

To clamp down on the illegal consumption and smuggling of dog and cat meat, it is recommended that the penalties for theft of companion animals be increased significantly and that a transparent and publicly monitored reporting platform be set up to harness the power of the public to stamp out the illegal consumption of dogs and cats. It is hoped that the Central Government will support and guide local governments that have banned the consumption of cats and dogs (including the Hong Kong SAR, Shenzhen and Zhuhai) to crack down on the illegal consumption and smuggling of cat and dog meat, and to make the relevant information public.