III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. CON. RES. 16 

Urging all countries to outlaw the dog and cat meat trade and to enforce 

existing laws against such trade. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 20, 2023 

Mr. MERKLEY (for himself and Mr. SCOTT of Florida) submitted the following 

concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 

Relations 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Urging all countries to outlaw the dog and cat meat trade 

and to enforce existing laws against such trade. 

Whereas a bipartisan domestic prohibition on the knowing 

slaughter, transportation, possession, purchase, or sale of 

a dog or cat for human consumption was included in section 12515 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 

(7 U.S.C. 2160), which was enacted on December 20, 

2018; 

Whereas the dog and cat meat trade occurs throughout the 

world; 

Whereas established dog meat markets still exist today; 

Whereas nonprofit organizations estimate that 30,000,000 

dogs and 10,000,000 cats die annually worldwide as a result of the dog and cat meat trade, and those organizaVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:14 Jul 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SC16.IS SC16

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•SCON 16 IS 

tions have found that a considerable number of the dogs 

and cats in this trade are stolen pets still wearing collars 

when they reach the slaughterhouses, in addition to stray 

dogs and cats who are captured for slaughter; 

Whereas there have been reports of abuse, poor living conditions, and cruel slaughtering techniques for dogs and cats 

farmed for their meat; 

Whereas many dogs and cats die during transport to slaughterhouses after days or weeks crammed into small cages 

on the back of vehicles without food or water, and others 

suffer illness and injury during transport; 

Whereas the extreme suffering of dogs and cats at such 

slaughterhouses and on transportation trucks would 

breach anti-cruelty laws in the United States and other 

countries; 

Whereas many government officials, civil society advocates, 

and activists are working to end the dog and cat meat 

trade on anti-cruelty and public health grounds; 

Whereas the World Health Organization has linked the dog 

meat industry to human outbreaks of trichinellosis, cholera, and rabies; 

Whereas individuals involved in the dog meat industry are at 

an increased health risk for zoonotic diseases, such as rabies, which can transfer from dogs to humans through infectious material such as saliva; 

Whereas the spread of disease may be exacerbated by unsanitary conditions of slaughter and by the sale of dog and 

cat meat at open-air markets and restaurants; and 

Whereas the World Health Organization and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control have both acknowledged the link 

between the spread of rabies and the dog meat trade 


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•SCON 16 IS 

which sees large numbers of dogs of unknown disease 

status moved 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 cruelty and public 

5 health grounds; 

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

7 trade to adopt and enforce laws banning that trade; 

8 and 

9 (3) affirms the commitment of the United 

10 States to advancing the cause of animal protection 

11 and animal welfare, both domestically and around 

12 the world. 

Æ 


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