Comment
Faster moves needed for protection of animals
By Zhang Min (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-07 13:40
It was the delivery of pandas to Australia that first got me thinking about animal cruelty legislation in China, or the lack thereof.
The other day my 9-year-old daughter and I were watching a news story about two giant pandas sent from China to Australia.
Her response surprised me. "It's too inhumane for the pandas," she said. "They have to leave their families for 10 years, and they have to be watched by many people every day!"
And as I assured her that the pandas would be taken good care of in their foreign home, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride. Only 9 years old, she already knew human beings have a duty to care for animals.
At the same time, however, I felt shame for even those adults around us who pay scant attention to the welfare of animals.
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So while we appeal to people's conscience for better protection of animals, I think China should act faster to implement animal cruelty laws, as an effective curb on abusing and killing animals.
Look at the United Kingdom, which passed the first anti-animal cruelty law in 1822, prohibiting cruelty specifically to cattle, horses and sheep.
Two years later, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) was founded. This was the first time that a group fighting against animal abuse had legal backup for its endeavors. The SPCA managed to win 149 convictions against abusers during its first year of operation.
Although the Chinese law on the protection of endangered species has been implemented since 1988, the law for animal protection is still in deliberation.
It has been reported that a draft of the country's first law on animal protection has proposed a fine of up to 6,000 yuan and two weeks' detention for those found guilty of animal cruelty.
But it might be a few years before the draft is adopted as a law.
People and animals should be in peaceful coexistence. No cruelty. We need to work faster.
