House's farm bill to include ban on slaughtering dogs and cats for meat

April 19 (UPI) -- The House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday approved an amendment to this year's farm bill that would ban dog and cat slaughter for meat.

Eating dogs and cats is rare in the United States, but is nonetheless legal in 44 states. The amendment would alter the Animal Welfare Act and put a federal ban on killing dogs and cats for meat and violators would face up to one year in prison and a $2,500 fine.

The Humane Society of the United States pushed for a dog and meat ban, which was introduced by Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif.

"Adopting this policy signals that the United States will not tolerate the disturbing practice in our country," Denham said, according to Politico.

But the amendment did have some detractors.

Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, both said imprisoning people for dog and cat meat was too punitive. Goodlatte pointed out that the meat is traditional in some countries.

But they were outnumbered by 239 co-sponsors of the amendment.