'˜Make eating dogs a crime': Campaigners call on government to make consumption of dog meat illegal in UKÂ

Under current law it is legal for an owner to kill and eat your dog in our country '“ as long as you were to kill your pet humanely. 

But while you would think that the cultural taboo of eating your canine friend would be enough to put anyone off committing such an act, an international campaign group are calling for tougher deterrents.

The World Dog Alliance (WDA) has called on the Prime Minister to introduce a full ban on '˜any interaction' with dog meat in the UK. 

The welfare group said it is worried the consumption of dogs may be being spread by immigration from some Asian countries '“ even if the consumption of dog meat in countries like North and South Korea is becoming increasingly uncommon. 

The WDA's Kike Yuen told our sister paper the i: '˜We believe a legal ban on dog meat would keep UK's global leading role in the field of animal protection, especially after the UK leaves the EU.

'˜People in the West barely eat dog meat, but we worry that dog meat consumption may be spread to UK with immigration.'

In the UK it is illegal to buy or sell dog meat under the current laws, but WDA want the government to introduce a full ban on consuming canines '“ having successfully lobbied for such laws in the United States of America. 

The Sun reports that Theresa May faced '˜urgent calls' to enact new laws. The WDA is set to launch a nationwide campaign in the autumn. Chair of the All-party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group, Lisa Cameron, came out in support of the ban and urged the government to look into it 'as a matter of urgency'. 

Tory MP Sir Alan Duncan also backed new legislation, which he called '˜absolutely right'. And Theresa May's official spokesperson told a Westminster media briefing on Monday: '˜The commercial trade in dog meat in the UK is illegal, but we will look closely at the decision taken in the US.'