As recent events have shown, COVID-19 is serious business.
So much so that governments are:
- Willingly locking down a part of an entire population
- Telling citizens they might have to pay for their own medical bills
- And shutting businesses down for breaking the rules
But to kill someone’s beloved pet? Apparently, that’s part of the package too, somewhere out there in the world.
Some Local Governments in China Killing Pets of COVID-19 Positive People to Stop the Spread of the Virus
I think it’s pretty safe to say that animals can contract COVID-19 too.
While some of us take COVID-19 less seriously, there are others out there who go the extra mile to stamp out the coronavirus.
This includes some Chinese local governments that have adopted strict virus prevention protocols, including killing the pets of confirmed COVID-19 patients.
Claims on Social Media
Just this month, a Chengdu woman from southwestern China said her cats were killed after she was moved into quarantine from her home.
Another, a Harbin woman from Northeast China, claimed her three cats were killed by community workers after they tested positive for the coronavirus.
A few days earlier on 12 Nov, a video was uploaded on YouTube, allegedly showing community workers beating a dog to death:
No Choice
Meanwhile, community workers have responded to the allegations.
They said that there was currently no treatment for infected animals, and euthanasia was the only solution.
“If the animal tests positive, then they cannot move back and the whole residential area could not move back, the outbreak will never end.”
So, why is China being so stringent with its measures?
Zero-COVID-19 Strategy
As previously shown, China has zero-tolerance for COVID-19 on their lands.
While an increasing number of countries has switched to treating COVID-19 as an endemic, China is still stubbornly pursuing a zero-COVID-19 situation.
Whenever a region experienced an outbreak, local governments will turn to massive testings, contact tracing and, sometimes, partial lockdowns, to deal with the spread.
The people, who are mostly tolerant of these disruptions, are now getting tired of the measures; this is especially so for pet owners who are furious at the cruel treatment of animals.
Calling the governments’ actions inhumane, pet owners have turned to online petitions in an effort to ask for better policies.
A list instructing pet owners on what to do when in trouble in the government is also circulating, which includes:
- Social media callouts
- Videotaping the inhumane treatment
- Insisting on going into quarantine with pets
- And reaching out to local media outlets
Unclear Policies
Unlike Singapore, which is small enough that a single government is able to control everything, China is so huge that there are local governments to help govern on behalf of the central government.
And if policies are unclear, confusion might ensue, such as the current pet situation in China.
Apparently, in China, wild animals and livestock can be killed by the government in the event of a pandemic.
However, dogs and cats are not listed under these categories.
When questioned whether what the Chengdu government is doing is in line with the central government, a staff member told The Post that they are also awaiting clearer instructions from them.
The only response the local government could give was to ask the media outlet to “read the current policies”.
Meanwhile, China’s official media is also advocating for lenient treatment for sick pets.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any laws protecting companion pets, so pet owners will have to, at least for now, protect their pets on their own.
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Feature Image: Weixin / YouTube (Kiki Chan)