The animal protection law of the People's Republic of China/Law on the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (experts proposal) 中华人民共和国动物保护法/反虐待动物法（专家建议稿） is a draft proposal of an animal protection law in China released on September 18, 2009.Chinadailyusa.com.
Chinadailyusa.com
" ''Early end to dark days of animal cruelty?.'' Retrieved on 2010-02-25. The draft was authored by a team of legal scholars led by Prof Chang Jiwen (常纪文), director of social law research department at the

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) is a Chinese research institute and think tank. The institution is the premier comprehensive national academic research organization in the People's Republic of China for the study in the fields of ...

.Chinadaily.com.
Chinadaily.com
" ''Draft law to punish animal cruelty.'' Retrieved on 2010-02-25. It has yet to be adopted by the legislature. Any such law must go through the legislative process of the national legislature

National People's Congress The National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China (NPC; ), or simply the National People's Congress, is constitutionally the supreme state authority and the national legislature of the People's Republic of China. With 2,9 ...

Background

Despite the existence of wildlife protection laws in China, more and more people in China and the international community are concerned about the level of protection that animals receive in China.

Coverage and punishments

The draft law mainly outlines guidelines for disease prevention and medical care for animals. It covers wildlife, farm, companion, lab, and other working animals. If enacted, it would outlaw dogs and cats consumption.South China Morning Post.
SCMP
" ''One man's meat.'' Retrieved on 2010-02-25. It would also criminalise the torture and indiscriminate killing of animals, the feeding of zoo animals with live

poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, their meat or their feathers. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, quails, ...

, and some

circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclis ...

acts. The

culling In biology, culling is the process of segregating organisms from a group according to desired or undesired characteristics. In animal breeding, it is the process of removing or segregating animals from a breeding stock based on a specific tr ...

of dogs in periodic government-sponsored campaigns to eradicate

rabies Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, ...

would be outlawed. Various sources have proposed different punishments. Some said a fine of up to 6,000 yuan and two weeks detention for those found guilty of animal cruelty. Others have suggested 5,000 yuan fine and 15 days in jail.Cqwb.com.cn.
Cqwb.com.cn
." ''食用猫肉狗肉罚款五千拘留15天.'' Retrieved on 2010-02-25. Organizations or units found guilty of selling cat and dog meat can be fined 10,000 to 500,000 yuan.En.chinagate.cn.

" ''Draft Law: Ban Dog Meat.'' Retrieved on 2010-02-25.

Debates

One issue of contention is whether it is any more offensive to eat

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantit ...

and

lamb Lamb or The Lamb may refer to: * A young sheep * Lamb and mutton, the meat of sheep Arts and media Film, television, and theatre * ''The Lamb'' (1915 film), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in his screen debut * ''The Lamb'' (1918 ...

than cat and dog meat. Such notions may be based on cultural prejudice. For example, both the

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

n and

Chinese government The Government of the People's Republic of China () is an authoritarian political system in the People's Republic of China under the exclusive political leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It consists of legislative, executive, m ...

briefly pulled dogs off the menu from the

1988 Seoul Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

and 2008 Beijing Olympics for westerners. However, it is commonly acknowledged in China and elsewhere that dog and cat slaughter involves extreme cruelty to the animals, with many being skinned alive or beaten to death. Animal welfare has also been a reason to restrict meat imports from China. As the country produced 46 million

tonnes The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton (United States c ...

of pork in 2008, but only exported 142,000 tonnes.China.org.cn.
China.org.cn
" ''Humane slaughtering spearheads China's drive to promote animal welfare.'' Retrieved on 2010-02-25. Some critics in China argue that a law for animals is an indulgence when human rights problems have yet to be solved in China. Some doubt whether such a law is realistic to be implemented.

References

External links

Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Wildlife

Chang Jiwen blog

* ttp://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/03/09/china.animals/?hpt=Sbin CNN debate (bottom){{Portal bar, China, Animals Law of the People's Republic of China 2009 in law Animal welfare and rights in China

Background

Coverage and punishments

Debates

See also

References

External links