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http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39573426
Taiwan's parliament has approved a bill banning the slaughter of cats and dogs for human consumption. The bill also prohibits those using a car or motorbike from pulling their pets alongside them on a lead as they travel. Anyone caught breaching the order faces a large fine or up to two years in prison - and having their names and photographs made public.
The measures were introduced to improve the country's animal protection laws. The move on Tuesday is a landmark amendment to Taiwan's Animal Protection Act, and is the first of its kind in Asia.
Taiwan had already banned the sale of meat and fur from cats and dogs in 2001.
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Taiwan Bans the Slaughter of Cats and Dogs for Human Consumption
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You know, the difference between this company and the Titanic is that the
Titanic had paying customers.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Thursday April 13 2017, @11:09AM (9 children)
If it's about animal protection, why those animals and not others?
I ate dog meat in asia. It was as good as beef, mutton or pork. And the damn dogs were farmed animals - brought up for human consumption - not pets you'd ever want loose around your kids. I also eat horse meat regularly, and I just can't see no objective difference between dogs, horses or regular cattle as a source of meat.
Basically, the only difference is the subjective emotional attachment some humans in some culture feel with some species of animals and nothing else. So, lucky dogs and cats in Taiwan I guess...
(Score: 2) by KiloByte on Thursday April 13 2017, @11:32AM
I can somewhat understand the irrational attachment to dogs -- emotional people somehow believe all dogs are those fluffy furballs they have at home. But there are worse cases: for example, Americans have a kind-of-religious aversion to horse meat, universally breaking their own laws to make sure horse meat is effectively illegal even when officially permitted (by tricks like mandating inspections but not actually providing them in any single state). And what exactly makes horses holy? They're no different from cows.
Ceterum censeo systemd esse delendam.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by LoRdTAW on Thursday April 13 2017, @12:38PM (2 children)
Because they are cute, cuddly, fuzzy and sleep with you at night. The others are lack the cuddly part even though they are probably just as capable and happen to taste good.
(Score: 2) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Thursday April 13 2017, @02:27PM (1 child)
I guarantee you the dog I ate bits of wan't cuddly or fuzzy when it was still on all fours. Them cattle dogs looked feral in their cage.
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Thursday April 13 2017, @04:27PM
That doesn't really matter. So are fighting dogs. Many of which have been rescued and successfully rehabilitated as pets. Farm dogs aren't much different. They still interact with humans while being fed and are domesticated breeds.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Immerman on Thursday April 13 2017, @02:19PM
I think I remember hearing something about unethical business folk catching and slaughtering pets to sell, perhaps the change is an attempt to remove their incentive?
I agree the preferential treatment of some animals by various cultures is a bit strange, though I can *almost* see a legitimate excuse where dogs are concerned. They have after all been genetically modified to have a very human-compatible psychology, the ability to understand their human's intentions that almost verges on telepathy, and a degree of loyalty rarely seen anywhere else in the world, including among humans. Can't say I've seen any studies on the subject, but I suspect they would pass many of the higher-consciousness tests we've created better than most animals, if only because our tests are designed to reinforce our belief that we're fundamentally different than other animals, and dogs' minds have been shaped to be more similar to our own than any other.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Gaaark on Thursday April 13 2017, @02:32PM
Yes!
I say "I'm gonna eat a mealworm" and the best anyone says is "Wow... i couldn't do that".
If i was to say "I'm gonna eat a horse".... shit! The fan would be throwing brown stuff ALL OVER THE PLACE!!
It's all about perception and cuteness, i guess.
Is there a food chain that says: "food is food, except, DAMN PUPPIES AND KITTENS, NOOOOO!!! TOO CUTE!!"
To a starving man, food is food: once you get fed and uppity, food becomes political.
Take away their food and PEOPLE WILL EAT PUPPIES AND KITTENS as readily as cows and pigs!, whether they are vegans, veggies, snowflakes or the weak.
Not many people will starve to death in order to be politically correct.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by richtopia on Thursday April 13 2017, @05:15PM
I heard a story of someone who traveled to Taiwan in the summer and the winter. In the winter, he commented that he didn't see as many strays as in the summer. The response he got was "dogs are good for warmth".
He thought that people were cuddling up with dogs for body heat. Not the case.
Back to your original point, I think the larger issue is not what animal is being consumed, but more along the lines of avoiding bush meat because you aren't sure of the history of the animal.
(Score: 2) by driverless on Friday April 14 2017, @09:45AM (1 child)
It does seem pretty odd. I've eaten horse in cultures where it's quite acceptable, and damn was it good. Never understood the extreme aversion to it in the UK and US, it's no different from eating cattle or sheep that have been raised for the purpose. I've had dog once or twice, but prepared in such a manner that it was hard to tell whether it was special or not (the horse was horse steak, where you could tell it was really good meat). So I wonder if this move is to curry favour with countries like the US, on which Taiwan is heavily dependent for defence against China?
Also, how liable are these laws to be followed? I know that some Asian countries are quite happy to pass whatever law the farangs want, on the understanding that they're never enforced unless it's done as part of a big show when said farangs are present, and in any case they'll be quietly forgotten after a year or two.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @02:09PM
The problem is when there's horse meat in beef. If they can cheat by putting in the wrong meat they can cheat in other unsafe ways too.
So similarly the problem with dog meat and cat meat is it's normally very poorly regulated. And you have unscrupulous people stealing pet dogs.
That said, not like the "conventional" meat industry is that well regulated in my country ;).