In 2020, the commercial slaughter and sale of dogs was banned in all of China. The eating of dog meat in China dates back to around 500 BCE, and possibly even earlier. It has been suggested that wolves in southern China may have been domesticated as a source of meat.
29th May 2020 – A historic moment for animal welfare: China's publication of a new National Catalogue of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources, which was announced on 29th May, means that live dogs for food and dog meat are not allowed to be sold anymore.
While China bans dog and cat meat, trade in Southeast Asia is thriving - FOUR PAWS in US - Global Animal Protection Organization.
In Australia, it is not explicitly illegal to eat dog in most states and territories. However, the sale of cat and dog meat is prohibited in all states and territories under the various statutes which govern the production of meat.
Unfortunately, it is legal to eat dogs in China. Around 10 to 20 million canines are killed for human consumption each year. China is not the only country to allow dog eating. In the United States, 44 states, it is illegal for slaughterhouses to handle dogs, and it's illegal for stores to sell the meat.
In the 21st century, dog meat is consumed to a limited extent in Korea, China, Indonesia, Nigeria, Switzerland, and Vietnam, and it is eaten or is legal to be eaten in other countries throughout the world.
Dog meat was going for 45 yuan per kilogram on average, while cat meat was just 24 yuan per kilogram.
In most states and territories it is not an offence to eat cats and dogs. South Australia is the only state which definitively prohibits the consumption of meat derived from a cat or dog, including the killing of a cat or dog for such purpose (see below table).
Australia is one of China's top suppliers of beef but volumes from there have plunged since 2020, even as the country buys larger quantities of beef overall.
China has placed tariffs on Australian barley and wine in recent years, and suspended the live lobster trade and coal imports, until this week. It also blocked imports from eight beef exporters from Queensland, NSW and Victoria, over labelling non-compliance and COVID-19 related issues.
Dogs in China still have a protective function, there are also service dogs, and dogs that serve as status symbols for some Chinese. However, just as here in the West, the vast majority of dogs in China are pet dogs who are viewed as companions and usually treated as family members.
While Australian beef is still sold in China with 172,000 tonnes sent there last year, some of Australia's biggest abattoirs have been banned from selling to China since 2020. Authorities then cited labelling and other minor irregularities, and eight Australian meatworks are still on China's banned list.
Between 1983 and 1993, dogs were banned in China because of the tens of thousands of deaths caused by rabies, and before that, chairman Mao Zedong's Red Guards slaughtered pets, regarded as a bourgeois luxury, during the ideological tumult of the Cultural Revolution (1966-76).
It's estimated that in China alone,10 million dogs and 4 million cats, are slaughtered for their meat each year. Dogs and cats of all shapes and sizes, many of them family pets still wearing their collars, are snatched from the streets and forced into tiny cages.
He said: “It's a red meat, quite fatty, and extremely fragrant. “Take a cross between beef and mutton, add extra meaty flavouring, and you've got the taste of dog. "It's so delicious that if it wasn't for the thought of eating dog, everyone would probably love it.”
Foods and other products, such as alcohol, are generally regulated in the UK around their production and sale rather than their consumption. As a result, the regulation and licensing of food production and sale prevents dog meat being legally and commercially available for consumption in the UK.
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Established in 1824, the Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) is Australia's largest integrated cattle and beef producer, and is the oldest continuously operating company in Australia.
Australia is the largest producer of Grass-Fed beef on the planet and produces some of the world's best Grass-Fed and Grass-Finished beef, including flavor-packed Australian Grass-Fed Wagyu beef.
Horse meat is commonly eaten in many countries in Europe and Asia. It is not a generally available food in some English-speaking countries such as the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, Ireland, the United States, and English Canada.
Some important things to remember about how and when to pet a dog: Don't touch a dog who is sleeping or eating, or chewing a toy. Stay away from a dog who is barking or growling, as well as one who is running loose without a guardian, behind a fence, in a vehicle, or tied up.
From 2016 to 2017, Animals Asia's team and their volunteers reported 1,067 dog meat restaurants to the authorities in 52 cities across China.
On Tuesday, a Tibetan mastiff, the breed of dog known for its mane-like fur, sold for $1.95 million in China, AFP Bejing reports. That price likely makes this pup the most expensive dog ever sold.
It is double the price of chicken or pork. 600 g is going at 7500 Won, US$7 per pound, that is the retail price of dog meat. We go by "Keun" (weighing meat in Korea) that is 600 g.