II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. CON. RES. 26 

Calling for an end to the consumption and trade of dog and cat meat. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 

Mr. MERKLEY submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Calling for an end to the consumption and trade of dog 

and cat meat. 

Whereas a bipartisan domestic prohibition on the consumption or trade of dog and cat meat was included in section 

12515 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 

U.S.C. 2160), which was signed into law by the President 

on December 20, 2018; 

Whereas the consumption of dog meat has occurred throughout the world, primarily in Asia; 

Whereas established markets for dog meat still exist as of 

September 2019; 

Whereas Humane Society International, Animals Asia Foundation, and others estimate that 30,000,000 dogs and 

10,000,000 cats die annually worldwide as a result of the 

dog and cat meat trade; 


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•SCON 26 IS 

Whereas, due to a traditional belief that high adrenaline levels produce tender meat and increase supposed health 

benefits, dogs killed for their meat may be intentionally 

subjected to extreme fear and suffering through hanging 

and bludgeoning; 

Whereas there have been reports that dogs and cats farmed 

for their meat experience abuse, poor living conditions, 

and cruel slaughtering techniques; 

Whereas, during transport to slaughterhouses, many dogs 

and cats die or suffer illness or injury as a result of being 

crammed into small cages on the back of vehicles for 

days or weeks without food or water; 

Whereas the extreme suffering of dogs and cats at slaughterhouses and on transportation trucks would breach anticruelty laws in the United States, such as— 

(1) the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq.); 

and 

(2) Public Law 85–765 (commonly known as the 

‘‘Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1958’’) (7 U.S.C. 

1901 et seq.); 

Whereas many government officials, civil society advocates, 

and activists are working to end the trade of dog and cat 

meat on anti-cruelty and public health grounds, and the 

governments of Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong have 

passed laws banning the slaughter of dogs for meat consumption; 

Whereas the World Health Organization has linked the dog 

meat industry to outbreaks of trichinellosis, cholera, and 

rabies among humans; 

Whereas the people involved in the dog meat industry are at 

an increased health risk for zoonotic diseases, such as raVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:05 Sep 26, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SC26.IS SC26

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bies, which can transfer from dogs to humans through infectious material such as saliva; 

Whereas the spread of disease in the dog meat industry may 

be exacerbated by the unsanitary conditions of slaughter 

and the sale of dog meat at open-air markets and restaurants; and 

Whereas the World Health Organization and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control have acknowledged the link between the spread of rabies and the dog meat trade, which 

involves the movement of large numbers of dogs of unknown disease status across vast distances: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) calls for an end to the consumption and 

4 trade of dog and cat meat on anti-cruelty and public 

5 health grounds; 

6 (2) urges all nations with a dog or cat meat 

7 trade to adopt and enforce laws banning the con8 sumption and trade of dog and cat meat; and 

9 (3) affirms the commitment of the United 

10 States to advancing the causes of animal protection 

11 and animal welfare domestically and around the 

12 world. 

Æ 


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