Dog meat restaurant in Guangzhou closes amid ‘falling demand’

One of the most popular dog restaurants in Guangzhou has closed after the local government tightened regulation of the eateries and a fall in demand for the meat, according to a newspaper report.

The Sunshine Restaurant, which started to offer dog meat dishes in Huifu West Road in 1963, has shut down and its site has been taken by a shop, the Guangzhou Daily reported.

Other restaurants that used to cook dog and cat dishes in the Yuancun and Panyu districts of the city have also stopped this year, the newspaper said.

“More and more people have realised the importance of protecting animals and refuse to eat dog meat,” one Guangzhou citizen was quoted as saying.

Guangzhou’s food quality watchdogs have warned people not to eat dog meat on safety grounds and plan to tighten the inspection of quarantine certificates and the sources of the meat in the city.

The Sunshine Restaurant’s founder said he started the business in 1960s when city government encouraged people to run restaurants catering to local tastes.