A PROPOSAL was filed by 20 deputies during this year’s session of the Shanghai People’s Congress on legislation against animal cruelty.

The deputies called for the definition of cats and dogs as companion animals and asked to make any cruelty toward such animals and working dogs illegal and to ban the killing of cats and dogs for their meat.

Meanwhile, 25 deputies called for further restrictions on performances involving wild animals through a revision of the implementation of the national wildlife protection law.

The deputies called for an across-the-board ban on all commercial performances by wild animals and a clear definition of which are acceptable public performances and not harmful to animals.

They also encouraged the use of technologies such as holographic displays to educate people and eliminate the necessity to force living animals to perform for the public.