Update: December 21, 2018

The cat and dog meat trade is officially banned in the United States. On Thursday, President Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill, which includes the prohibition against the slaughter and sale of cat and dog meat for human consumption. Astonishingly, this inhumane and unsafe practice had been legal in most states.

In October, Alley Cat Allies issued an action alert urging our supporters to contact the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a standalone bill (HR 6720) to outlaw the cat and dog meat trade. We also sent letters of support to the committee and letters of thanks to the sponsors of the bill. Thankfully, this bill’s language was added to the 2018 Farm Bill to accomplish what this standalone bill would have done.

Original Post:

The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry is considering a bill that would ban the butchering and eating of cats and dogs, which is legal in most states around the nation.  Earlier this month, the House of Representatives took a vital step in animal welfare by passing the bill, H.R. 6720, also known as the “Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2018.”  

If the Senate follows suit, the bill will go to President Trump’s desk for his signature. Violations of the law would be punishable by fines of up to $5,000. 

Alley Cat Allies is mobilizing citizens around the nation to contact their senators and urge them to pass this important bill to end a horrific practice. This measure would ban the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, and donating of cats and dogs, or their parts, for humans to eat. 

The dog and cat meat trade targets stolen pets, lost or stray animals, and free-roaming animals who live outdoors. They are captured using painful methods including clamping devices. Cats and dogs spend days packed tightly into metal cases as they’re transported to slaughterhouseswhere they are killed. 

Every year, an estimated 30 million dogs and countless cats are slaughtered across Asia in this manner, according to the Humane Society International.  

It should be noted that the U.S. cannot effectively hold other nations to standards that do not exist within our own borders. In addition to passing H.R. 6720, the House also passed a resolution urging governments of other nations, including China, Thailand, and South Korea, to adopt and enforce laws against the cat and dog meat trade. 

If the Senate also passes H.R. 6720, it will send a powerful message to these nations and the world that the United States does not tolerate the slaughter and consumption of cats and dogs. 

Alley Cat Allies is calling on the Senate to officially reflect our values and ensure our country’s”¯companion animals”¯and people are protected from this inhumane and unsafe”¯practice.”¯”¯We encourage you to join us by contacting your Senator today in support of H.R. 6720.