Full Title Name:  OVERVIEW OF PROPOSAL FOR ENACTING ANIMAL CRUELTY STATUTES IN CHINA

Summary: This paper argues that it is time for the Chinese legislative body to enact an animal abuse statute. Specifically, this paper attempts to amend the "Criminal Law of The People’s Republic of China" by adding three provisions into the Section 1 “Offense against the Public Order” of Chapter VI “Offences against Social Management of Order”. That is, “the offence of cruelty to animals”, “the offence of disseminating videos and images of animal cruelty” and “the offense of animal abandonment”. In 2009, a group of experts have submitted this proposal for embracing Animal Cruelty Rules into Criminal Law to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. It is noted that the proposal was rejected by the Chinese legislative body in 2010 and then shortly the Animal Cruelty committee dissolved.