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Zhuhai has become the second Chinese city to ban the human consumption of cats and dogs following the coronavirus outbreak.

The order was issued in the 1.7million population city, which borders Macau, following a government proposal that dogs should be considered 'companion animals'.

Nearby Shenzhen was the first city to ban cat and dog consumption from May 1, China News reports.

The ban has followed the spread of the novel coronavirus which was passed to humans from wild animals sold as food in a market in Wuhan.

The Covid-19 strain of the virus has killed 130,000 worldwide so far.

(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

In Zhuhai, people who break the ban will be made to pay up to 20 times the value of the meat.

The cat and dog consumption ban is part of a wider move to stop the trading of wild animals in Zhuhai.

The city will prohibit all restaurants, hotels and farms from selling exotic meat.

The news was announced in a press conference yesterday led by Yong Ling, the supervisor of the legal affairs committee of the Standing Committee of People's Congress of Zhuhai Municipality.

(Image: LESZEK SZYMANSKI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

His move followed the publication of new legislation by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The April 8 document says that dogs are 'companion animals' which were not 'suitable' to be raised as livestock.

If the directive is followed by regional government's across China, then the 10 million dogs which are slaughtered in the country each year may avoid that fate.

(Image: Humane Society of United States)

It could also see the end of the Yulin Dog Meat Festival.

Thousands of dogs are butchered, skinned and cooked with blow torches at the controversial meat event.

Zhunai's dog and cat meat ban was warmly met by Wendy Higgins, a spokesperson of Humane Society International.

"Coming so soon after Shenzhen's ban and the government's historic statement classifying dogs as pets, we hope this is the start of a domino effect of progressive legislation across China with other cities following suit," she told MailOnline.