PassionTimes: DAB's Ben Chan Says No to Tightening of Animal Breeders Regulations

DAB's Ben Chan Says No to Tightening of Animal Breeders Regulations

Translated by Vivian L., Written by 熱血編輯部 (PassionTimes Editiorial Team)
Original: http://www.passiontimes.hk/article/07-09-2014/17628 

Pro-Beijing legislator Ben Chan Han-pan speaking at a LegCo meeting (Source: PassionTimes)

The LegCo Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene held a meeting on Tuesday (July 8) to discuss amendments to the Public Health (Animals and Birds) (Animal Traders) Regulations to better regulate pet trading.

Pan-democratic lawmakers generally agreed to strengthen regulations to better protect animals from inhumane breeding processes.

But New Territories West legislator Ben Chan Han-pan of the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) thinks otherwise.

Speaking against tightening of pet animal trader regulations, Chan said, "If we tighten the regulations [to make it impossibly hard to breed and sell pets], the grassroots and the underprivileged who really want a pet for companionship may be deterred from doing so because the cost may be too high. They may not be able to afford a pet because of the cost of buying a pet animal would be so high. I am extremely worried that this might happen [if the amendments are passed]."

I for one am extremely worried about Mr Chan's ability to reason. Who says pets have to be purchased?

The Honourable legislator did not know there is an alternative way to obtain pet animals besides visiting the pet store--adoption--and it's free!

It's an open secret that there are many bad breeders in operation. To breed as many saleable pups as possible, bad breeders gives no rest for the mothers; to raise the quality of the puppy products, weaker newborns are discarded like garbage.

To minimise animals' suffering in the breeding industry, an effective solution is to encourage adoption instead of purchasing, which is one of the demands of this year's July 1 march, and ironically is something that our pro-government legislators couldn't care less about.

The fact that Chan opposed to pushing tougher laws on animal breeding clearly demonstrates his ignorance on animal welfare matters.

Hong Kong needs no more crappy lawmakers like him.