Society

China urged to boost animal welfare

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-06-19 13:02

BEIJING - Animal welfare advocates in Asia, who gathered in Southwest China for a regional meeting, have called for better protection of animals.

Participants at the Asia for Animals Conference 2011, which ended in the southwestern city of Chengdu over the past week, particularly urged the timely passage of China's first comprehensive animal welfare law - the China Animal Protection Law, which has been shelved at the national legislature since the release of its draft in September 2009.

Related readings:  Animal rights debate rages on in China  Zoos flauting animal show ban, study finds  Animal activists target fur trade

About 100 countries in the world have enacted laws to protect animal welfare, experts say.

Mang Ping, a professor with Central Institute of Socialist Studies in Beijing, said abuses on animals commonly exist in the industrial breeding, transport, and slaughter of animals for food in China.

"The suffering of animals going through the whole process is beyond imagination," Mang said, adding that animals are reportedly raised with hormone-altering feed by some farm owners hoping to cash in on the rise in the number of full-grown animals for slaughter.

Mang said as it will take time for the concept of vegetarian to take roots among consumers, and animal rights advocates should accept reality and promote the idea of animal welfare and its practicability.

China's animal activism has been on the rise recently. Pictures and video clips posted on the Internet showing cruel treatment of animals, including bile extraction from black bears, and calves being chased and eaten by lions sparked strong criticism.

In April, about 200 people blocked a truck carrying hundreds of whimpering dogs on a Beijing highway to negotiate the release of the ready-to-slaughter dogs after a post on a micro-blog calling for help attracted overwhelming attention.

Last year, the mismanagement of animals in Chinese zoos caught the public's attention. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development responded by banning animal performances that were seen as violating the zoo's nature as a non-profit, public interest institute.

Lions jumping through rings of fire and black bears riding on a bicycle are included in the ban.

"I am happy to see more and more people in China joining us to end animal suffering and promote animal welfare," said Zhou Zunguo, an executive of the China branch of Compassion in World Farming, a UK-based group that campaigns for animal welfare.

Zhou, one of the key activists in the dog rescue operation in April, said he hopes China's booming middle class, whose life standards have been dramatically raised with the country's rising prosperity, should take the lead in promoting animal welfare.

"Animals have feelings," Zhou said. "Only when humans treat animals well can we live in true harmony."