Criminalize cat, dog meat trade and consumption-ICS to Health Ministry
The Institute of Community Sustainability (ICS), led by its Executive Director Eric Jerry Aidoo, is urging the state, the media and the public to treat cats and dogs as companion animals rather than a source of meat.
A Ghanaian civil society group is calling on the government to outlaw the consumption of cats and dogs, warning that the practice poses public health risks and raises ethical concerns.
The Institute of Community Sustainability (ICS), led by its Executive Director Eric Jerry Aidoo, is urging the state, the media and the public to treat cats and dogs as companion animals rather than a source of meat.
Mr Aidoo said the animals play a practical and emotional role in many households, describing them as sources of comfort for children and older people, while also providing security for homes and small businesses.
He argued that turning them into food “diminishes their value” and weakens the bonds communities build around the care of animals.
ICS also warned of health dangers linked to what it described as unregulated slaughtering and handling, saying this could expose people to diseases including rabies, trichinellosis and cholera.
The organisation is calling on the Ministry of Health to introduce a full ban on slaughter for human consumption, make the trade and sale of cat and dog meat a criminal offence, and roll out a nationwide public education campaign on the risks.
“It is time for Ghana to align with global health standards and ethical practices,” Mr Aidoo said, urging the media to amplify the campaign and calling on the public to support measures that protect both public health and animal welfare.
