Many people know that Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton is a huge supporter of environmental welfare. Evidently, it now extends to animal rights activism. The Mercedes driver took to Instagram to urge his 15.1 million followers to help China reclassify dogs as ‘pets’.

Recently, China published some guidelines that classified dogs as ‘companions’. The government published the guidelines alongside a draft document of the National Catalogue of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources. That document names some animals on the legally traded list for meat, fur, and medical purposes.

A clearly appalled Lewis Hamilton wrote on Instagram, “To all my fans in China. I’d be so grateful if you could vote and push for this. This has to stop.”

He even posted a picture from the ‘Little China Dog Rescue‘ organisation to drive the point across. The British pleaded with his fans to support the announcement. It is also worth noting that the guidelines are open to public consultation until May 8.

What else did Lewis Hamilton say on the matter

As it turns out, the new guidelines come into effect in the wake of a ban on eating and trading wild animals. The ban comes in the aftermath of the coronavirus (COVID 19) outbreak. Some suspected that it originated from a ‘wet’ market in Wuhan, China. Since then the epidemic quickly turned into a pandemic and claimed the lived of thousands.

Speaking about the decision, China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said, “With the progress of human civilization and the public’s concern and preference for animal protection, dogs have changed from traditional domestic animals to companion animals.”

“Dogs are generally not regarded as livestock and poultry around the world, and China should also not manage them as livestock and poultry.”

Lewis Hamilton and all the other drivers are currently living in self-isolation. Since there is no racing action, they are quite bored. Admittedly, some like Lando Norris and Max Verstappen are amusing themselves with online racing. However, the other drivers, including Lewis Hamilton are spending time with their loved ones. Rest assured, all of them and their respective teams are doing everything in their power to stay safe.