Asian Animal Rights

China introduced its first animal welfare laws on Friday after a decade of working with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), an animal-rights group based in the UK. The new draft legislation protects pets, captive wildlife, and lab animals, and regulates how farm animals should be raised and slaughtered. Currently, there are no rules that prohibit animal abuse, because only endangered species are protected under Chinese law. The RSPCA stresses that passing and enforcing this legislation will be a lengthy, ongoing process. The organization plans to introduce animal welfare programs into schools to change public perception regarding animal rights.