Opinion | Other major countries have animal protection laws. Why not China?
- There’s a growing need for animal welfare legislation, as pet ownership becomes fashionable among urban, middle-class Chinese. An estimated 92 million dogs and cats are being kept as pets, but not all the owners know how to treat them
The footage, shot in a street in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, emerged on social media on October 19 and quickly went viral. Enraged netizens expressed shock, sadness and condemnation. The incident has also led to calls for legislation to protect animals.
The unnamed animal abuser said he was punishing a stray cat for eating his sausage. According to a statement released by his employer, a security services company, the man had been playing with his pet cat at the end of a working day when it scratched him and he reacted irrationally.
Amid the social media storm, he was sacked from his job and his employer donated 5,000 yuan (US$ 748) for the cat’s treatment.
For many, this isn’t enough. Surely there should be a more severe punishment for the loss of five lives. What kind of message does it send to potential animal abusers out there?
The video brought back uncomfortable memories of my childhood. I have a confession to make: I once abused animals. A tomboy, I used to catch toads with boys, put firecrackers in the amphibians’ mouths and light them. We would laugh our heads off as the toads were blown to bloody pieces. One day, my Buddhist grandma caught us. “Stop it,” she cried with tears in her eyes. “All animals are sentient. You’re committing a sin!”