Dog Meat Restaurant In Guangzhou, China Closes Due To Falling Demand

The Sunshine Restaurant in Guangzhou, China, which first began serving dog meat dishes in 1963, has closed due to an increase in local government regulation and the decline in demand for dog meat.

When the restaurant opened more than 50 years ago, the city government encouraged residents to open restaurants that catered to local preferences.

According to a report in the Guangzhou Daily, translated by the South China Morning Post, other nearby restaurants that previously offered cat and dog meat dishes have stopped serving them. The paper attributed the shift in demand to a growing concern for animal welfare.

"More and more people have realized the importance of protecting animals and refuse to eat dog meat," one local resident told the paper.

Recently, the region's local law enforcement officials have pushed citizens to adopt more stringent food safety standards, urging them not to eat dog meat for their own safety. Authorities have also begun paying more attention to the sourcing of meat.