China looks set to reclassify dogs as pets rather than livestock in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The move will lead to questions over whether a change to canines' place in Chinese society could lead to an end to cruel dog meat festivals.
Dogs are considered a delicacy in some regions of China. Their current classification as livestock allows them to be bred as food, or to provide milk, fur, or medicine.
But that could be about to change as the coronavirus fallout mounts on top of years of international scrutiny calling for an end to the trade in dog meat.
Some cities have already taken the law into their own hands in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, which is believed to have started at a market in the Chinese city of Wuhan.