Animal rights activists are trying to stop the slaughter of more than 10,000 dogs in China who are at risk of being skinned, boiled or burned alive and then eaten at the annual Yulin Festival Dog and Cat Meat festival.
WARNING: VERY GRAPHIC CONTENT
In what the Humane Society International calls a “festival of cruelty” many four legged pets, mostly dogs but cats also, are snatched from loving homes and taken to the Guangxi province in Southern China to be traded and eaten as a celebratory feast to mark the June solstice.
The hashtag #STOPYULIN2015 has been circulating on social media over the past couple of weeks largely due to animal loving celebrities like Rickey Gervais joining animal rights groups in their efforts end the once a year Chinese festival.
Images like these are being circulated by animal rights groups of dogs reportedly on their way to Yulin.
It is estimated close to 500,000 pounds of dog meat is consumed at the event and organisers are now facing growing pressures to can the event because of a [change.org]( https://www.change.org/p/mr-chen-wu-yulin-governor-please-shut-down-the-yulin-dog-meat-festival-in-guangxi-china|target =”_blank”) petition that has so far received more than 400,000 signatures.
The petition, set up by the Duo Duo Animal Welfare Project requests that the “Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region government must cancel the ‘Dog Meat Festival’ that is held on June 22 in Yulin.”
The petition says:
“As foreigners who have great respect for the Chinese people and Chinese civilization, we are saddened to learn that the Yulin ‘Dog Meat Festival’ still exists in a modern civilized society. We believe that this event has no place in the 21st century. We adamantly voice our strong opposition to this barbaric ‘festival’…”
Along with some very graphic images of dogs being burned and boiled alive – reportedly cooked this way for taste reasons – actor Ricky Gervais took to social media to voice his anger at the meat festival, tweeting: ‘We SHOULD get angry’.
According to the HSI, thanks to overwhelming pressure last year Yulin authorities announced that they would not support the festival.
While this resulted in a more “subdued event and fewer dogs slaughtered” the HSI concedes on its website that it was only a small victory.
“More recently, the authorities have claimed that the festival wouldn’t happen this year, but preparations for a mass dog slaughter are underway despite this statement,” writes the HSI.
China expert Peter Li went undercover at Yulin in May and witnessed festival in preparation full swing for 2015.
He described one slaughterhouse as “full of blood, internal organs of the dogs and cats, blow torched carcasses, and freshly slaughtered dogs hanging on hooks”.
“Mass dog slaughter is still going on at Yulin despite the local authorities trying to give the impression that’s it’s ended,” Mr Li told the British MailOnline.
“The Yulin government has declared the ‘festival’ will not happen, but this is mere semantics and thousands of dogs will still die for their meat whether it’s called a festival or not.”
According to reports HSI and Duo Duo have representatives in and around Yulin ahead of the festival trying to dissuade locals from participating and trying to save animals.
Just days ago the HSI tweeted a picture of a puppy destined for the celebrations at a slaughter Yulin slaughterhouse.
But according to reports the festivals participants won’t give up their dog delicacies without a fight.
At last year’s festival a Yulin vendor reportedly held a live dog from a noose and threatened to kill it unless activists paid him an exorbitant ransom. The story caused shock and anger online.
In recent years China’s treatment of animals, dogs and cats in particular, has courted increasing outrage from the nation’s animals lovers.
In March, the National People’s Congress deputy, Zheng Xiaohe, delivered the proposal banning the butchery and consumption of cats and dogs to the National People’s Congress and a formal response is expected in the coming months.
The HSI is also trying to launch a petition. You can sign by visiting the [website]( https://action.hsi.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=104&ea.campaign.id=38221&ea.tracking.id=website| target=”_blank”).
