SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
China reclassifies dogs as pets instead of livestock
China's Ministry of Agriculture issued new guidelines Wednesday that reclassify dogs as pets instead of livestock, part of the country's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
"As far as dogs are concerned, along with the progress of human civilization and the public concern and love for animal protection, dogs have been 'specialized' to become companion animals ... and they will not be regulated as livestock in China," the notice said.
The coronavirus is believed to have originated in horseshoe bats, which may have passed the disease to other wildlife species for sale in the markets of Wuhan, where the virus was first detected.
Following the outbreak, China banned the breeding, trading and consumption of wildlife.
Also at Reuters.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by legont on Saturday April 11 2020, @02:48AM (2 children)
In certain western places people collect their virus infected snot using a special cotton cloth. They proudly keep that cloth in their front pocket. It is especially sexy to use that cloth to clean eyes of said people's lovers.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Arik on Saturday April 11 2020, @05:23AM
As the custom has fallen out of fashion, I fear you may mislead the tender reader.
One may use said cloth (a "kerchief") for the one purpose, or the other, but not the first and then the second. Not without sanitizing the thing in between, at least.
The idea is to carry a clean kerchief, use it when necessary, and then off to the laundry for sanitization after use. Which is why one would need not one but several of the things. And use of the hospital laundry, or functional equivalent.
The modern way of single-use tissues relieves one of the responsibility of making sure things are properly sterilized after use, but it has drawbacks as well. If a factory messed up and contaminated their product? That could be a huge disaster. And they are a major contributor to landfills.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by crafoo on Saturday April 11 2020, @04:03PM
Nope. These days handkerchiefs are strictly used for covering your face before a liquor store robbery or politely covering your shaved head at family gatherings. Although, yes, it had more humble beginnings.