Vice-Minister of Agriculture Azat Sultanov stated that dog meat is not among the products permitted for consumption in Kazakhstan. According to him, meat that officially enters the market undergoes veterinary and laboratory checks.
WHAT THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE SAID
Vice-Minister of Agriculture Azat Sultanov commented on reports of the possible sale of dog meat through catering establishments. He emphasised that the ministry only inspects products that officially enter the market as fit for consumption.
"It must be understood that dog meat is not classified as meat suitable for consumption. It is neither beef nor horsemeat. The Ministry of Agriculture only inspects the meat and raw materials that enter the market as products fit for consumption," Sultanov stated at a briefing.
WHY THE TOPIC HAS CAUSED PUBLIC UPROAR
The discussion arose following statements by animal rights activists and public figures on a podcast by Timur Balymbetov called "ChestnoGovorya". Ecologist and public figure Sergei Snegiryov claimed the existence of an illegal business involved in sourcing dog meat for catering establishments.
According to Snegiryov, a court case supposedly took place in Astana two years ago, in which restaurants that had purchased minced meat mixed with dog meat were mentioned in the case files.
Animal rights activist Temirlan Tospayev also reminded that in Uralsk, a tender for the capture of stray dogs was won by a meat processing company.
The contract was worth 9 million 396 thousand tenge, with the capture of each animal estimated at 5 thousand tenge.
The Uralsk Akimat stated that finding contractors for such work had proven difficult, so the procurement was carried out through a price quotation. Animal rights activists, in turn, expressed concern over the link between the company's activities and the animal capture contract.
HOW THE LAW RELATES TO THE DISCUSSION
The topic has become a subject of active debate again in light of amendments to the Law "On Responsible Treatment of Animals". One of the most discussed provisions concerns the rules for keeping stray animals in holding facilities.