PM under pressure to ban eating of dogs in Britain

Liz Bates

Theresa May is under pressure to ban eating dogs in Britain, after it emerged that the practice is increasing.



The Prime Minister has been warned by an international canine group that rising immigration has caused a spike in the consumption of dog meat in the UK.

Under current laws it is legal to kill and eat dogs in Britain, but the World Dog Alliance is calling for a full ban on any interaction with dog meat and will launch a nationwide campaign in the autumn.

The WDA’s Kike Yuen told The Sun: “In the US, people who eat dog meat are mainly immigrants from Asia.

“With three million immigrants from East Asia in the UK, we cannot deny this situation exists here too”.

“We also believe legislation against dog meat in UK would provide us with strength to continue our work in Asia, as the UK could influence other countries to stop dog meat consumption.

“Most of them usually refused to do so with the excuse that there is no such law in Western countries”.

Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan last night backed a full ban, saying it was “absolutely right” that the practice should end.

He added: “There is no need in the modern world for this disgusting habit.

“We should nip it in the bud now to make sure the practice never takes off here. A civilised country is decent to animals, so let’s be fully decent here.”

Chair of the All-party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group, Lisa Cameron, said: “I very much support a ban on dog meat consumption in the UK, and urge the Government to look at this as a matter of urgency.

“We must be culturally sensitive, but I do not believe the general public would approve of the practice at all.

“Dogs are sentient beings and we value them very highly as pets. The last thing we want is dog farms here”.

A Defra spokesperson said: “Britain is a nation of animal lovers and we are proud to have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world.

“That is why we planning to raise the maximum sentence for animal cruelty to five years so those who commit the most shocking crimes towards animals are suitably punished.”