926 Greeting: Iron-Fisted National Crackdown on Food Safety Crimes Brings Major Breakthrough for Dogs and Cats Protection

Every year on September 26, the World Dog Alliance (WDA) celebrates "Dog Lovers' Day," a date inspired by the Cantonese homophone for "926"—"Gau Yi Lok" (dogs easily happy)—symbolizing the wish for all dogs across the globe to live healthy, joyous lives with dignity.

On this year's "926," following instructions from President Xi Jinping, the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission convened a high-level specialized meeting deploying decisive measures. This signaled profound national-level priority and resolve to strictly crack down on illegal and criminal acts within the food safety sector in accordance with the law, highlighting mandates including "the most rigorous standards" and "the most severe punishments" to resolutely dismantle illicit black-market supply chains in the food sector. The release of this state media report on September 26 became the single greatest piece of good news for Dog Lovers' Day this year!

Official state media reports clearly noted that law enforcement and judicial authorities will launch comprehensive, full-chain investigations and impose harsh penalties against uninspected, unquarantined meat, illegal clandestine slaughter, and illicit trade (See details in the report link below). Under the sustained advocacy of the World Dog Alliance, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs officially excluded dogs and cats from the National Catalogue of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources in 2020, formally establishing their status as "companion animals" rather than livestock for human consumption. Simultaneously, the state has never established slaughter and quarantine protocols for dogs and cats; legally, any canine or feline meat circulating in society constitutes uninspected, unquarantined, illicit private slaughter. This resolute national-level intervention undoubtedly provides the most potent legal instrument to comprehensively shut down the unlawful trade in dog and cat meat from the perspective of food safety.   

This signal of national-level enforcement has already demonstrated tangible results in regional oversight. On the eve of 926, the World Dog Alliance learned that the iconic enterprise Pei County Fan Kuai Food Co., Ltd. in Xuzhou, Jiangsu—which once boldly declared plans to open 1,000 chain dog meat restaurants nationwide—had its food production license officially revoked by the government, and the company has completely ceased dog meat production while currently transferring its facilities. Coupled with recent remarks by Guangxi provincial leaders during an inspection tour in Yulin emphasizing the need to "refuse meat and meat products that have not undergone inspection and quarantine, and consciously discard bad dietary habits", these developments confirm the shared resolve from central to local authorities to eradicate the illicit dog and cat meat trade through rigorous food safety regulation.   

A strict crackdown on food safety crimes fortifies the bottom line of life, while the rule of law and modern civilization safeguard canine and feline welfare. Seizing this vital momentum, the World Dog Alliance will maintain its tireless efforts, actively submitting recommendations to relevant national departments and calling on the country to follow the path of pioneering cities such as Shenzhen and Zhuhai by codifying explicit legislation to prohibit the consumption of dogs and cats nationwide.   

On this occasion of 926, may all dogs and cats remain far removed from slaughter and the dining table, living peacefully and happily alongside humanity year after year!

Link to official media report: https://www.xinhuanet.com/legal/20260926/42e7841ec53047879e112c53b2cd5c80/c.htm