WARNING: Content May Be Disturbing for Some Readers
Sadly, 2022 marks another year that the Yulin Dog Meat Festival continues. Every year, efforts are made to end dog meat consumption, but this event hasn’t been stopped completely. Yet, that won’t prevent animal advocates from fighting back.
Not only is the “festival” cruel to the animals killed, but it’s also linked to many illegal practices. China doesn’t have a nationwide ban on the consumption of dog meat yet, but the way these dogs are obtained and slaughtered isn’t legal or humane.
Another Year of Horrific Practices
The current Yulin Dog Meat Festival began on June 21st, 2022. 2009 marked the first year of this event, and it has no cultural significance in China. The majority of the country doesn’t consume dog meat, but a small group of people continues to show up for this foul tradition.
In 2020, China’s Ministry of Agriculture released a statement saying that dogs and cats are considered companions and not livestock. Thus, no canine slaughterhouses can exist in the country. So, the thousands of dogs set to be slaughtered this year are coming from meat farms in other countries. Many of them are also stolen pets.
“The majority of dogs caught up in the trade are family or ‘owned’ pets and strays snatched from the streets. Dog thieves use a variety of methods, including poison, dragging dogs from back yards, and drive-by grabbing of animals, to sell to traders and restaurant owners. Once they have accumulated enough, the dogs and cats are crammed in small cages in their hundreds unable to move, and piled on the back of trucks,” said Peter Li from the Humane Society International.
Dogs crossing the China border must have individual health certificates, but of course, these stolen and abused dogs never do. So, people break the law to sneak the dogs into the country for this disgusting event. Many of the dogs are killed in the cruelest ways possible for convenience. It’s time to put an end to this unnecessary suffering.
386 Dogs Rescued, Hundreds Still At Risk
Police intercepted a vehicle full of dogs shortly before the Yulin Meat Festival was scheduled. They found 386 dogs shoved into wire cages with no health certificates. The dogs were suspected to have infectious diseases, so they needed to be quarantined after being removed from the truck.
“It was horrifying to see so many dogs in such an appalling state, it was like a truck from hell for these poor animals. The dog meat slaughter brings shame on our country and so we will keep fighting until we see an end to this suffering,” said animal activist Lin Xiong, who watched the truck get pulled over.
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All the dogs are now at Beijing’s Capital Animal Welfare Association. They will get a second chance at life, but unfortunately, hundreds of other dogs made it to the Yulin “festival” to meet their demise. Animal welfare volunteers won’t rest until the dog meat trade ceases to exist.
To fight the dog meat trade and support the dogs that were saved, you can donate to the Humane Society International. With enough support, dog lovers will one day put an end to this heartless event.
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