China has declared for the first time that dogs should be treated as companions, not as livestock.

It's a move that campaigners hope could signal the beginning of the end for the country's cat and dog meat trade, writes the Independent. The latest announcement comes after China banned the trade of wild animals for food in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Now, per the Independent, China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said of the new proposal;

“With the progress of human civilisation and the public’s concern and preference for animal protection, dogs have changed from traditional domestic animals to companion animals.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1248253252925341697]]

“Dogs are generally not regarded as livestock and poultry around the world, and China should also not manage them as livestock and poultry.”

This news also comes after China's city of Shenzhen - home to approximately 12.5 million residents - passed a ground-breaking law banning the consumption and production of dog and cat meat earlier in April.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: PA Images]]

Per the BBC, the Shenzhen city government said of the new law:

"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.

"This ban also responds to the demand and spirit of human civilisation."

Dr. Peter Li, China's policy specialist for animal activist group Humane Society International noted at that time that most people in China do not eat dog or cat meat, and there is considerable opposition to the trade - particularly among China's younger population.
Wendy Higgins, a Humane Society International spokeswoman said of the proposal, “This draft proposal could signal a game-changer moment for animal protection in China”.

This assertion is supported by a 2016 nationwide survey cited by the Independent, which suggested the the majority of citizens in China felt that the dog meat trade should be completely banned. Nearly 70 percent of those polled had never eaten it.

China declares dogs are companions, not livestock for first time