In the light of coronavirus spread, China announced a proposed list of animals that can be legally farmed for meat.

The list includes pigs, cows, chickens, and sheep; however, some animals like pangolins, bats, and civets are not on the list. Scientists believe that they may have spread the coronavirus to humans.

For the first time, dogs have been specialized to become companion animals, and they are not considered to be livestock in China. If the list is finalized and enforced, it will mark a major victory for animal rights activists.

According to the Humane Society International, 10 million dogs in China are killed every year for meat. At the same time, more than 90 million dogs and cats also are kept as pets.

Difficult words: pangolin (an animal that lives in Africa and Asia and that eats ants and termites), civet (a small animal-like a cat that lives in tropical forests and that has a very strong smell), animal rights activist (a person who fights for animals to be treated well).