The document discusses the complexities surrounding the consumption of dog and cat meat in China, exploring issues such as stray and stolen pets, surplus animals from consumer-driven pet markets, and cultural perceptions of animal consumption. It highlights the legal gaps regarding animal welfare and the emerging activism aimed at addressing cruelty through education and direct action. Efforts to introduce animal protection legislation are also documented, underscoring a growing awareness and changing attitudes toward animal rights in the region.

1. The Tangled Webof Chinese Domestic Animal Markets:Stolen and Stray Pets, Designer Dogs and Chi Energy2010 Animal Law Institute State Bar of Texas • Animal Law SectionFriday, May 21, 2010 • San Antonio, TXSharon Warner Methvin, PhDsmethvin@gmail.com, http://www.slideshare.net/smethvin

2. A Question to ConsiderIs the eating of cat/dog meat a cultural food preference issue and therefore a similar issue to the eating and treatment of livestock in the US?In part…yes. In part…no.Nothing, when it comes to culture, is simple or even clear cut. Clearly, there are parallels:

3. Parallels to Livestock

4. Parallels Food preferences for certain tastes and breedsConditions of treatment and transportCruelty in killing methodsCultural attitudes about protein, immune system strength and general health

5. Bigger =Better Taste

6. Cage Confinement

7. Cruel Slaughter

8. Protein and Strength

9. But…The there’s more to the cat/dog meat issue

10. The Web UntangledStrand One:Stray and Stolen Pets from the StreetsStrand Two:Surplus Animals from Consumer Driven Pet Markets Strand Three:Food as Medicine to Strengthen the Body

11. Strand OneStrand One:Stray and Stolen Pets from the Streets

12. Street Animals

13. Stolen from the Streets

14. Strays and Pets

15. Loved…Looked After…Lost

16. Animal Guardians Cook and Distribute Food in Parks (Beijing)

17. The Web of Animal NappersAdult cats rounded up… Traps are set during the nightFriendly cats are collected with ropesPet shop surplus are gatheredHeld in crates in warehouses until transported to southern China

18. Strand TwoStrand Two:Surplus Animals from Consumer Driven Pet Markets

19. Urban Pet Keeping The New Status Symbol

20. Surplus Pets and Consumer Demand

21. Pet Alley

22. Puppies…Large Dogs…Purebreds

23. Designer Dogs

24. Pet Alley InterviewConsumer & Export DemandFuel the Meat and Fur (trinket/trim) Market

25. Surplus Sent to MarketRounded up by the animal dealersSell the common ones for 5rmb (about .75 cents)Purebreds and large dogs for 25-50rmb(about 4-7USD)

26. But not these: Rescued (by us)

27. Strand ThreeStrand Three:Food as Medicine to Strengthen the Body

28. Cultural Perceptions of ChiVisitors to Guangdong province, China, have often been appalled since circa 1350 by local "Dragon and Tiger" cuisine, combining the flesh of cats with snakes. As many as 10,000 cats per day are eaten in the city of Guangzhou each winter, according to recent estimates--but the Shenzhen Cat Net web site founder, identified by China Daily only as "Isobel," may have sparked a movement against the custom by carrying a white rose to the restaurant in memory of the slaughtered cats. China Daily News, 2007.

29. Consumption Estimates“Animal People” estimates that 13-16 million dogs and 4 million cats are butchered each year for human consumption in Asia. Some estimates for cats are 10million.Dogs are eaten in winter in China to keep the blood warm and immune system strong.In rural areas, the dog guards, is eaten in winter and replaced with a puppy in spring.

30. Market Dog Meat Stall in Nanjing

31. Market Butcher in Nanjing

33. Meat Market Butcher InterviewHe sells one or two a day.For food, people like big dogs for more fat.More so in winter to warm the blood or chi.Dogs come from the countryside.Sold by weight.Activists returned to buy a Labrador for 50yuan, but it was too late. (7USD)

34. But not this one: Rescued (by us)

35. Legal Issues and the Meat TradePaperwork is required for transport, but is usually phony.No current laws cover care, treatment or butchering.Meat temperature and hygiene do not seem to be regulated in markets.No current laws cover domestic animals.No current laws cover animal cruelty.There are height restrictions and number limits for guardians to follow. Inspectors confiscate violations. No labeling regulations for fur on products from China. Federal legislation introduced, but has not passed.

36. The Web of PlayersPet alley shop owners/breedersCat/dog nappers who work the streetsMiddle men who warehouse and arrange the transport to Southern China by truck or trainEnd of line markets, especially in Guangdong Consumers Public

37. The Web of Victims Street animals often fed in community placesPets who live outsideSurplus purebreds and designer dogsUnwanted litters given to pet alley shopsBreed-specific farmed animals like St. Bernard'sCaregivers and guardians

38. The Bigger Web Unraveled Locals state that only a few dogs and no cats are eaten in urban areas, except by rural migrant workers. They say it only happens in Canton area.In Nanjing (near Shanghai), the market butcher said he had maybe one or two orders a day. None for cats and he had no cats confined. In Beijing, some dogs could be seen in the market for several days. They are located just across the area from pet dogs for sale. Most of the surplus and street animals are shipped to Guangdong in southern China by train or truck. They fuel the meat/fur industry.

39. About 40-50 to a crate, 200-800 in a shipment. Some for meat, some only for fur to create trinkets and trim.

41. The suffering in transport is unimaginable

42. Transported from Anhui and Jiangsu ProvincesSo, it is far more than just being skinned alive, it is also what they endure from the point of capture and transit as well. This is on top of already being victims of the pet trade industry, where they may have sat in cages, unprotected from the weather for weeks, but were never bought. The surplus ones are then sold to the fur/meat traders to be shipped to Guangdong.The route by train from Shanghai or Nanjing is about 1,150K or 750 miles.

43. Transportation Network to Cantonese Area

44. The Web Network EconomicsPet alley common-bred cats~~5yuanTo middle men from trappers and collectors~~10yuanAfter transport to Guangdong for skinning~~50yuan. In bulk, can be bought at 45yuan each Special breeds of dogs~~200yuanCat meat on the plate~~35yuan per kiloAverage common worker’s salary in urban areas where many are rural migrants~~1,800yuan

45. A New Era for Animals in China

46. Emerging Activism for Animals

47. Packed, Stacked and Transported

48. Social Movement Strategies(Gamson’s concepts applied)Successful strategies can be attitudinal or behavioral Best way to change attitude is through educationBest way to change behavior is through lawsFor deeply held values, faster results are through behavioral change and eventually attitudes catch up Deeply held values take two or three generations to change

49. Tactics and Techniques Tactics fall into two categories:Institutional tactics use institutional channels such as media, policies, and organizational and institutional authority. Direct action tactics use extra institutional means such as boycotts of restaurants serving cat meat, protests and demonstrations.

50. Emerging Activism: Direct Action TechniquesExamples of direct action techniques emerging in China and being used by Chinese activists include:Vigils and memorials in front of restaurants that serve cat meat or perpetrators of cruelty. Breaking into and freeing crates of animals enroot to Guangzhou. Some in Shanghai have laid down under the trucks to prevent them from leaving.Leafleting at events.

51. Raids on Factories and Shops TIANJIN, BEIJING-- As many as 100 volunteers rallied by the I Love Cats Home in Tianjin stormed a cat meat market on February 10, 2007 to rescue 444 cats, of whom 415 were taken in by the China Small Animal Protection Association, of Beijing. "It was a true battle," China Small Animal Protection Association volunteer Dan Zhang told ANIMAL PEOPLE. "The Tianjing volunteers bravely fought for the lives of the cats with the butchers and police for more than 10 hours. Some volunteers were injured and sent to the hospital," one of whom was still hospitalized two days later, rescue organization Wang Yue of the I Love Cats Home told Ng Tze Wei of the South China Morning Post. "The police threatened to shut their mouths," Zhang said. "Volunteers from the I Love Cats Home called us at midnight to ask for our help, after they were not allowed to take the cats away. Professor Lu Di and I kept in contact with them all night. Finally the police agreed that the volunteers could take the cats away if they signed an agreement with the cat butcher. " Organizing transportation and volunteers to take the cats to Beijing, "We arrived in the afternoon and got back at midnight," Zhang recounted. "Lu Di and I stayed at the shelter until 6 a.m. to take care of the much tortured and extremely terrified cats. The Beijing News "said the volunteers might be sued by the cat vendors for compensation and be prosecuted for attacking police officers," wrote Ng Tze Wei. "But Wang Yue said that they did not attack the police. "Ms. Wang said her group first learned late last month that a shop in the wholesale market was keeping more than 400 cats in small cages, but the police and government departments said there was nothing they could do about it," Ng Tze Wei continued. "Xiao Xue, another group member," told Ng Tze Wei that "the carcasses of dead cats were seen dumped next to the shop last month. The cats rescued on Saturday appeared to be another batch," Ng Tze Wei wrote. "A Tianjin reporter told the group that angry local residents broke down the shop's door" on February 9, the day before the I Love Cats Home raid, "to retrieve lost pets they suspected had been stolen by the vendors," Ng Tze Wei reported. Admitted Wang Yue, "By rescuing the cats we broke the law. However, we cannot pursue these cat thieves under the law because we cannot catch them in the act." Wang Yue hoped that the China Small Animal Protection Association, seeking homes for the cats in Beijing, could help with whatever legal problems might follow. She appealed for adopters to step forward. "The media coverage attracted much attention," Zhang said. "We received many calls from people who wanted to help, either to adopt or to donate money." However, Zhang added, the total contributions actually received, as of February 19, amounted to "less than $1,000 altogether." [ANIMAL PEOPLE had already sent $500 to the aid of the cats c/o Animal Rescue Beijing, which is now helping the China Small Animal Protection Association to look after the cats, and will be happy to relay readers' donations. Checks should be made out to ANIMAL PEOPLE, labeled "for the Chinese cats."] "My artist friend Ai Weiwei went to the shelter with us yesterday afternoon," Zhang continued, "and he was shocked to see how bad the conditions were," with the new arrivals joining the 200 cats and 700 dogs who were already housed there. He immediately decided to rent a place in order to adopt as many cats as possible, as soon as possible. His wife, a painter, took four home immediately. One was pregnant and gave birth to several lovely kit tens." Ai Weiwei eventually took 21 cats. Zhang and two friends adopted 10. "Most of them are injured," Zhang reported. "Volunteer Ms. Wang Yin took more than 300 cats to be sterilized," Zhang added. The Hong Kong SPCA was sending a team of veterinarians to assist, Ng Tze Wei said. The Tianjin cat rescue came nearly eight months after 40 cat-lovers backed by "a large crowd including children," according to China Daily, stormed the newly opened Fang Company Cat Meatball Restaurant in Shenzhen on June 17, 2006. Finding the remains of one butchered cat, they extracted a promise from the owner to serve cats no more. The Shenzhen raid started when the founder of the Shenzhen Cat Net web site, identified only as "Isobel" by China Daily, carried a white rose to the restaurant in memory of the slaughtered cats. Supporters followed, holding banners and distributing handbills denouncing both eating cats and eating dogs. Among them was GaoHaiyun, Miss Shenzhen for 2005, who according to China Daily told restaurant customers to "stop eating cats and dogs and become civilized." "It's hopeless to realize how many cat meat and fur markets remain in Tianjin alone," Zhang said, "not to mention Guangdong, the most bloody province in China, where people believe cat and dog meat are good for their health." But Zhang anticipated using the Tianjin cat incident to help promote the introduction of long awaited national animal welfare legislation. "We're going to exhibit the cages that the cat butcher used to store cats and pigeons at the annual meeting," Zhang said. "It will be a shock to most of them." Agreed China Small Animals Protection Association vice president CaiMeng, to Ng Tze Wei, "The ultimate solution to animal protection lies in legislation," a goal of the association ever since it was formed in 1994. "We cannot solely rely on empathy," CaiMeng said. Added Ng Tze Wei, "Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference representative HuQiheng, who accompanied the association to collect the cats from Tianjin, has drafted a petition to be presented when the conference convenes its annual session in March."-- Merritt CliftonEditor, ANIMAL PEOPLEP.O. Box 960Clinton, WA 98236

52. Leafleting

53. Freeing Animals Ready for Transport in Nanjing, China

54. Public Memorial Vigils

55. Rescued and Shelter Bound

56. A Safe Place

57. The Emerging Chinese Activists

58. Freed from the Hook

59. Emerging Activism:Institutional TacticsExamples of institutional techniques emerging in China include:The new animal welfare law. Exposure of the cat/dog meat issue through songs, internet sources such as Youtube and traditional news media such as, CNN.Working directly with police and government officials to capture and curtail and transport. School/community humane education talks. Local community shelters and TNR programs.

60. Message in Music

61. Education Outreach to Community and Schools

62. Community-Based Animal Sheltering for Dogs

63. And for Cats

64. A Safe Place to Live…Food to Eat

65. Population ControlTNR in Beijing and Shanghai

66. But:Spay Techniques are Complicated

67. Institutional Laws for AnimalsThere is no general law on animal welfare, all three regulations that meet the definition and the principles of animal welfare are related to wildlife. They relate to wildlife as a natural resource and the protection for the purpose of human utilization.They are: Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Wildlife, Regulations for the Implementation of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Terrestrial wildlife, and Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Implementation of Wild Aquatic Animal Protection. The laws and regulations have a very narrow definition of wildlife. In Chapter 1 of LPRCPW, wildlife...are rare or near extinction and the species and...which are beneficial or of important economic or scientific value

68. General Laws and RegulationsWildlife Protection LawAnimal Epidemic Prevention LawLivestock Husbandry LawPig Slaughter RegulationsLaboratory Animal Management Regulations

69. First Animal Welfare Law DraftedThe newest expert draft of a proposed act which expands protections for animals was released on March 17. The new version, “Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Law” replaces the previous "Animal Anti-cruelty Act" and includes some new items not present in the earlier draft released in September 2009, such as banning the mistreatment of animals by starvation, and forbidding the slaughter of animals in the presence of youths. The draft law will be submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in March, said Chang Jiwen, head of the drafting team and director of the Department of Social Law under the Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Chang added, after the release of the original draft last September, the drafting team had received over 700 suggestions from the public as of mid-January 2010.

70. Current Expert Draft Status Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Law of the PRC (Experts’ Draft Proposal)To be submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the PRCStanding Committee of the National People’s Congress to Amend the Criminal Law of the PRC to Protect AnimalsUsing the rule of law to promote the development of social morals, in particular by addition to Chapter Six ‘Offence of Jeopardising Social Management and Order’, Section One ‘Offence of Disrupting Public Order’, the following Articles: ‘Offence of Cruelty Towards Animals’, ‘Offence of Disseminating Photographic Images of Cruelty Towards Animals’, ‘Offence of Abandonment of Animals’.

71. New Cat/Dog Meat Protection under Anti-Cruelty Draft LawArticle 59 (Bleeding, Flaying, Scalding or Dehairing/Defeathering)Animals may not be flayed, scalded, dehaired, defeathered, eviscerated or delimbed before death.After stunning animals should immediately be rapidly, cleanly and thoroughly bled.

72. Author of Law Draft of Animal Protection Law Code in ChinaProfessor Chang JiwenChinese Academy of Social Sciences Institute of Law15 ShatanBeiJieBeijingPeople's Republic of China 100720Email: changjiwenlaw@yahoo.com.cnMobile telephone: +86 15810477742

73. In ConclusionA Growing Love For Animals

74. There’s No Place Like Home

75. Even After the Earthquake

76. Concluding CommentsThe terror of being skinned alive, intense confinement and brutal capture and transport are important to remember when people question if this is only a cultural difference in food preferences. Yet, the similarities of this situation to the treatment of food animals in the US are striking.Cats are stored in warehouses up to 40-50 in one crate for several days before the long, frightening journey to Guangdong. Many are dead and injured during storage and transport.I have seen the conditions of cats who were rescued after having been eight days without food and water. I tried sohard to save several of them with fluids and force feeding, but some are too traumatized to make it. Their systems have shut down or they simply have that vacant (shell shocked) look in their eyes and have, at some level, left their bodies.

77. The Story of Fu and Rugger

78. A Story Book Ending in the US

79. For More InformationAct-Asia, Ping An Afu, Beautiful New World, Lucky Cats, People4Chinese AnimalsAnimals Asia FoundationAnimal PeopleHong Kong SPCAHumane Society International (HSUS)People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Asia-Pacific DivisionIFAW, RSPCA, WSPA

80. AcknowledgementsSpecial thanks to my students at CASS for assisting in the research for this presentation. Special thanks to local animal rescue groups for the photos used in this presentation. Special thanks to those organizations who have invited me to give this presentation.And for those animals in these photos who have passed on; we cared.