NEWS AND OPINION – SHENZHEN, CHINA: The city administrators of the metropolis called Shenzhen in southeastern China, with a population of 12.5 million, is preparing to ban cat and dog meat in light of the coronavirus which is believed to have been caused by the slaughtering of wild animals at a live animal market in Wuhan.
It’s karma again. It is a wonderful silver lining in the coronavirus epidemic. The city council have seen the light but it took a financial catastrophe to open their minds and hearts. Nature taught them a lesson. The coronavirus is very damaging to China’s economy. If there is one thing which motives the Chinese leaders it is economic success as they depend on a burgeoning economy to keep the citizens of China quiet and accepting of what the West regards is a dictatorship (“People’s democratic dictatorship”).
In a formal notice, the city’s administrators have said that:
Banning the consumption of wild animals is a common practice in developed countries and is a universal requirement of modern civilization.
The banning of cat and dog meat is part of a ban on eating wildlife which helps to bring China into the 21st century in this regard as the notice admits that cats and dogs are people’s companions. Snakes, turtles and frogs are also excluded from the approved list, despite being popular dishes in China’s south. Lamb, ducks, geese and pigeon are approved for human consumption.
The rest of the province of Guangdong might follow. I hope so as it is where cat and dog meat is historically consumed in very large quantities. More to follow later….
At first glance it appears that they kind of blame cats and dogs for the virus. And it’s a little confusing to read that they say cats and dogs are wild animals, but the bottom line problem/solution is to limit human reproduction. The world is already past the sustainable limit. That said, it’s good that they’re banning the slaughter and consumption of cats and dogs, also admitting because they are our companions.