Taiwan Has Just Become The First Asian Country To Ban Eating Cats And Dogs
37Kviews
It’s official and it’s wonderful news for animal lovers all around the world – Taiwan has just become the first Asian country to completely ban dog and cat meat. The new legislation has it that those found guilty of eating canine or feline meat can be given a fine of up to NT$50,000 ($1,600) and NT$250,000 ($8,000). The ban also covers the selling, possession or purchasing of kitty and doggie carcasses.
This positive change can be mostly attributed to changing attitudes in Taiwan towards dogs and cats – as pet ownership in the country is increasing, it causes the shift from seeing those animals as meat to seeing them as companions – and possibly even best friends you wouldn’t eat for lunch.
President Tsai Ing-wen might have something to do with it as well. During her election campaign, she positioned herself as an animal lover who owns two cats and had adopted three dogs.
Still, even though this ban is a huge victory, the fight to abolish cat and dog meat continues. For instance, in China, every year 10,000 doggies are killed in the Yulin dog meat festival. Let’s hope that other Asian countries will take Taiwan as an example and follow their lead.
(h/t: ladbible)
It’s official – Taiwan has just become the first Asian country to completely ban dog and cat meat
Image credits: AFP/ Ed Jones
Those found guilty of eating canine or feline meat can be given a fine of up to NT$250,000 ($8,000)
Image credits: Animals Asia
This positive change can be mostly attributed to changing attitudes in Taiwan towards dogs and cats
Image credits: Asia Wire
As pet ownership in the country is increasing, more people see animals as companions rather than meat
Image credits: AFP
President Tsai Ing-wen might have something to do with it as well
Image credits: AP Photo/Wally Santana
During her election campaign, she positioned herself as an animal lover
Image credits: AP Photo/Wally Santana
Still, even though this ban is a huge victory, the fight to abolish cat and dog meat continues
Image credits: Soi Dog Foundation
In China, every year 10,000 doggies are killed in the Yulin dog meat festival
Image credits: AP/Chiang Ying-ying
37Kviews
Share on Facebook
Several Asian countries already have bans in place, some of them decades ago. Don't be lazy; do your homework.
That's what I was just thinking
Exactly. Singapore has banned it for decades...
I don't understand where to draw the line... cats and dogs not ok but ducks, lambs and rabbits ok... double western standards...
Why "western"? Also same happens in, say, India. Cow is not okay, but sheep is fine. Although it's also true that like half of the population is vegetarian there. Please, someone, correct me if I'm wrong.
I'll enjoy my bacon but you touch my cat and I'll stab you :p
I kinda understand why you mention "western standards" but this is a news story about Taiwan. As far as I know it is not in fact illegal to eat a dog in most of the Western world...
It's easier to draw the line like this: "don't eat animals". See? Simple.
Draw the line at all animals.
It’s not double standards, there’s a huge difference between game, livestock and domestic pets and most of the anger from the West is not at the consumption of meat but the repulsive methods of slaughter. We don’t blowtorch and skin live animals to death in the West.
DOGS CATS ARE TORTURED BY EVEL DEMONS THATS THE DIFFERENCE SOCO REAL YOU FILTHY FLESH EATER
I don't think eating any of those animals is ok but it admittedly does seem worse with dogs and cats for some reason. I guess they're more like us than the others.
Here's where to "draw the line," if it has a nervous system and a brain it feels all the same emotions as you do. Go vegan.
Victoria: Don't skimp on your studying. Also, watch out for cultural bias in your studies and school materials/instructors. A lion is an obligate carnivore. Humans are not. A lion cannot eat plants. Humans can, but we are not built to eat them raw. We are more frugivore than omnivore (because we are not built to kill and consume animals/raw meat either; we've adapted to that as a survival technique, but that technique goes against the survival of a species when there are 7+ BILLION members who all think they need to eat meat). You might be okay considering ethics of animal treatment to be "opinion", but the fact of the meat industry being utterly unsustainable with 7+ billion human beings on the planet is NOT opinion. It is fact.
If this is the case, then why don't you try to feed a lion some salad? I'm sure they would be grateful. It isn't as though nature has predators to prevent herbivores from destroying all the plants they have to feed themselves, only to die off (studying zoology and ecosystem stuff). Listen, you are entitled to your opinion and dietary choices, but there is no reason to force it upon others.
Cats and dogs were originally bred for specific purposes, many of which were for hunting. Also, the fact that these animals are of a higher intelligence (I'm not saying this from bias, I love my rabbits and chickens, and could never kill them myself, but I also plan to study ecosystems and zoology in college and have done a ton of research on agriculture and livestock), as they are trainable, and serve other purposes. A dog can remember things, and based on the breed, is capable of doing many different types of work, whereas you don't see sheep guiding the blind. Plus, humans have, since ancient times, hunted for survival, and that included creatures similar to our livestock today. I love literally everything (including spiders, snakes, bats, and other "fearful" creatures) but I do understand how tribal people may have chosen between what they hunt versus what they praise. Cats and dogs were hybridized by humans, for humans to serve other purposes.
Your statements above are formed from culture and myth, not scientific study. For example: cats domesticated themselves and plenty of animals are trainable (you've simply not witnessed it). In general, humans greatly underestimate the intelligence of all non-human animals. http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150706-humans-are-not-unique-or-special
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
p**s off vegan hippie!
"double western standards..." is so true. Just go and clean up the US pig "farms".
PIGS DONT GET TORTURED
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Should we just all survive on lettuce? Did you watch the film 'Happening'? Scary s**t ;)
Have a look at the movie Earthling ... Scary s**t ;)
Yep, those are obviously the only choices available; meat, lettuce, or death.
You people are weird af. Obviously didn't mean just LETTUCE lol and not even interested in vegan hints and tips, I'll stick with my meat and greens! Stop taking everything on internet so literally ;)
Seriously? Without eating animals, you have nothing but lettuce? That's... really uninformed. I've been a vegan for over a year and I'm perfectly content with the awesome foods I've been eating. I was vegetarian for 12 years before that. I've never once had to "survive on lettuce".
Several Asian countries already have bans in place, some of them decades ago. Don't be lazy; do your homework.
That's what I was just thinking
Exactly. Singapore has banned it for decades...
I don't understand where to draw the line... cats and dogs not ok but ducks, lambs and rabbits ok... double western standards...
Why "western"? Also same happens in, say, India. Cow is not okay, but sheep is fine. Although it's also true that like half of the population is vegetarian there. Please, someone, correct me if I'm wrong.
I'll enjoy my bacon but you touch my cat and I'll stab you :p
I kinda understand why you mention "western standards" but this is a news story about Taiwan. As far as I know it is not in fact illegal to eat a dog in most of the Western world...
It's easier to draw the line like this: "don't eat animals". See? Simple.
Draw the line at all animals.
It’s not double standards, there’s a huge difference between game, livestock and domestic pets and most of the anger from the West is not at the consumption of meat but the repulsive methods of slaughter. We don’t blowtorch and skin live animals to death in the West.
DOGS CATS ARE TORTURED BY EVEL DEMONS THATS THE DIFFERENCE SOCO REAL YOU FILTHY FLESH EATER
I don't think eating any of those animals is ok but it admittedly does seem worse with dogs and cats for some reason. I guess they're more like us than the others.
Here's where to "draw the line," if it has a nervous system and a brain it feels all the same emotions as you do. Go vegan.
Victoria: Don't skimp on your studying. Also, watch out for cultural bias in your studies and school materials/instructors. A lion is an obligate carnivore. Humans are not. A lion cannot eat plants. Humans can, but we are not built to eat them raw. We are more frugivore than omnivore (because we are not built to kill and consume animals/raw meat either; we've adapted to that as a survival technique, but that technique goes against the survival of a species when there are 7+ BILLION members who all think they need to eat meat). You might be okay considering ethics of animal treatment to be "opinion", but the fact of the meat industry being utterly unsustainable with 7+ billion human beings on the planet is NOT opinion. It is fact.
If this is the case, then why don't you try to feed a lion some salad? I'm sure they would be grateful. It isn't as though nature has predators to prevent herbivores from destroying all the plants they have to feed themselves, only to die off (studying zoology and ecosystem stuff). Listen, you are entitled to your opinion and dietary choices, but there is no reason to force it upon others.
Cats and dogs were originally bred for specific purposes, many of which were for hunting. Also, the fact that these animals are of a higher intelligence (I'm not saying this from bias, I love my rabbits and chickens, and could never kill them myself, but I also plan to study ecosystems and zoology in college and have done a ton of research on agriculture and livestock), as they are trainable, and serve other purposes. A dog can remember things, and based on the breed, is capable of doing many different types of work, whereas you don't see sheep guiding the blind. Plus, humans have, since ancient times, hunted for survival, and that included creatures similar to our livestock today. I love literally everything (including spiders, snakes, bats, and other "fearful" creatures) but I do understand how tribal people may have chosen between what they hunt versus what they praise. Cats and dogs were hybridized by humans, for humans to serve other purposes.
Your statements above are formed from culture and myth, not scientific study. For example: cats domesticated themselves and plenty of animals are trainable (you've simply not witnessed it). In general, humans greatly underestimate the intelligence of all non-human animals. http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150706-humans-are-not-unique-or-special
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
p**s off vegan hippie!
"double western standards..." is so true. Just go and clean up the US pig "farms".
PIGS DONT GET TORTURED
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Should we just all survive on lettuce? Did you watch the film 'Happening'? Scary s**t ;)
Have a look at the movie Earthling ... Scary s**t ;)
Yep, those are obviously the only choices available; meat, lettuce, or death.
You people are weird af. Obviously didn't mean just LETTUCE lol and not even interested in vegan hints and tips, I'll stick with my meat and greens! Stop taking everything on internet so literally ;)
Seriously? Without eating animals, you have nothing but lettuce? That's... really uninformed. I've been a vegan for over a year and I'm perfectly content with the awesome foods I've been eating. I was vegetarian for 12 years before that. I've never once had to "survive on lettuce".