WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: The annual Dog Meat Festival in China is underway until June 30, with campaigners fearing thousands of cats and dogs could be killed for people to snack on during the horror event
China’s controversial Yulin Lychee and Dog Meat Festival is once again underway, with animal welfare campaigners warning that thousands of dogs and cats could be killed before the event ends on June 30.
The annual gathering in Yulin, in the southern Guangxi region, has attracted international condemnation for more than a decade. Critics say the festival, which coincides with the summer solstice, has become a symbol of the wider dog and cat meat trade despite growing opposition both within China and overseas.
Animal welfare groups claim many of the animals arrive after gruelling journeys packed into cramped cages, often without food or water. Campaigners say some are stolen pets, while others are strays rounded up for sale. Images released by activists over the years have shown frightened animals crammed into wire cages awaiting slaughter.
The trade has long been accused of subjecting animals to extreme suffering. Campaigners allege dogs are transported over long distances in sweltering conditions before being killed in markets, slaughterhouses and restaurants across the city.
Some believe eating the animals can help cure certain diseases. Despite the grim scenes, activists say there are signs that attitudes are changing.
In a breakthrough earlier this month, a dog slaughterhouse in Yulin was permanently shut down through a joint effort involving Chinese animal welfare groups and international campaigners. Nine dogs were rescued from the site, including three animals still wearing collars and believed to be stolen family pets.
Julie Sanders, director of Humane World for Animals’ End Dog and Cat Meat campaign, said: “It’s incredibly exciting to see this livelihood conversion take place in Yulin, arguably China’s most infamous dog and cat meat hotspot.”
The owner of the slaughterhouse, who had spent nearly two decades in the trade, admitted he was relieved to leave the industry behind. “I have been killing dogs for almost 20 years. It’s a dirty business and I don’t feel good about it,” he told People.
Campaigners argue the festival is not an ancient cultural tradition as often claimed. Animal welfare organisations say it was launched in 2010 by traders seeking to boost dog meat sales and create publicity around the summer solstice.
The event has faced mounting resistance from Chinese activists, many of whom have organised rescues, protests and awareness campaigns. Over the years, volunteers have intercepted vehicles carrying animals to slaughter and worked to rehome survivors.
Recent surveys and reports have suggested support for the trade is declining as more people in China view dogs as companion animals rather than livestock. Several Chinese cities have already moved to restrict or ban the dog and cat meat trade.
But with the festival now underway, campaigners fear thousands more animals will suffer before the final stalls close on June 30.
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