(REUTERS): The Chinese city of Shenzhen has banned the eating of cats and dogs as part of a wider clampdown on the wildlife trade since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
The decision comes after the coronavirus pandemic was linked to wildlife meat, promoting Chinese authorities to ban the trade and consumption of wild animals.
However, Shenzhen has been the most explicit about extending that ban on dogs and cats. The new law will come into force on May 1.
In this regard, the city government said, “Dogs and cats as pets have established a much closer relationship with humans than all other animals, and banning the consumption of dogs and cats and other pets is a common practice in developed countries and in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Liu Jianping, an official with the Shenzhen Center for Disease Prevention and Control, said, “There is no evidence showing that wildlife is more nutritious than poultry and livestock.”
Wildlife department for Humane Society International in its report claimed that thirty million dogs a year are killed across Asia for meats. The organization also praised the move taken by the Chinese city.
Vice President of wildlife department for HIS said, “Shenzhen is the first city in the world to take the lessons learned from this pandemic seriously and make the changes needed to avoid another pandemic.
So far, coronavirus has claimed lives of more than 47,000 people in the world and has affected 930,000 people around the globe.
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