Nagaland Bans Sale, Consumption of Dog Meat
The Nagaland government has decided to ban the commercial import and sale of dog and dog meat days after incidents of the animals being shot emerged along with a photo of them tied in gunny bags. The posts on social media had caused a huge outcry as they claimed the dogs were being taken to the state for sale.
The decision to ban commercial import and trading of dogs, and sale of dog meat, both cooked and raw, was taken during a state cabinet meeting, said state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Neiba Kronu.
Considering the dangers of importing dogs from other states for consumption and also in line with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, the state cabinet took the decision, Kronu, said. The government also decided to ban commercial import and trading of pigs with immediate effect. The state already banned the import of pigs following the outbreak of swine fever in the region and the cabinet gave approval to it in the meeting.
Animal rights advocacy group Humane Society International said in a statement: “This is a major turning point in ending the cruelty in India’s hidden dog meat trade.”
The group estimates up to 30,000 dogs a year are smuggled into Nagaland, where they are sold in live markets. The group said dogs are also regularly beaten to death with wooden clubs.
Dog meat — considered a delicacy among certain communities of Nagaland and some other parts of the Northeast — has been traditionally consumed in parts of the state for decades. Certain communities in Nagaland also consider dog meat to have medicinal properties.
In 2016, the state government had reportedly contemplated taking action after an advocate from Assam sent them a legal notice on the matter. However, no decision was taken.
The Food Product Standards and Food Additives Regulations, 2011 and Meat Food Products Order, 1973 state that only Ovines, Bovines, Suillines and Caprines can be consumed as meat, while consumption of any other animal, including dogs, is strictly prohibited.
In Nagaland and other north-eastern states, thousands of dogs each year are illegally captured for consumption from the streets or stolen from homes. These states include Mizoram, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh, animal rights groups say.
