A Hong Kong supermarket chain said on Saturday it has halted the sale of dog meat in its branches in China after customer protests.
ParknShop, one of Hong Kong’s two main supermarket chains, was bombarded with complaints after a newspaper reported last week that the firm sells dog meat at its 200 outlets in mainland China.
Some customers threatened a boycott, and animal rights groups in Hong Kong called on ParknShop to halt the sale of dog meat to set an example in China, where they say dogs are inhumanely slaughtered.
The supermarket chain at first resisted the appeals, saying the eating of dog meat was widespread in China, and that the product was sold by its competitors.
However, in a statement on Saturday, it said: ”After a thorough review of the situation, we have responded to customers’ comments and have decided not to stock this product.
”We appreciate that some people have strong feelings on this issue, and we have listened to these various opinions carefully.”
Animal rights groups in Hong Kong are leading a campaign to outlaw the sale of dog meat in China, saying some are brutalised before slaughter and even plunged alive into boiling water.
Dog meat in China is consumed mainly in the winter. – Sapa-DPA