The Yulin Dog Meat Eating Festival // Sign the Petition

I'm sure you are aware of the current international criticism, both in the press and on social media, of the Yulin Dog Meat Eating Festival. This is the barbaric event where hundreds of restaurants across Yulin, on the border of Inner Mongolia, take part in butchering at least 10,000 dogs and cats, many of them being stolen domestic pets. Just for their meat. 

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Each domestic animal that is stolen away for this disgusting tradition lives in such poor conditions, and faces such a horrific death that animal lovers across the country even plead with the butchers and offer obscene amounts of money to take the animals off their hands. A dog lover, Yang Xaioyun, has even been reported, by The Telegraph, to have travelled from Northern China down to Yulin and paid what equates to £700 (7,000 yuan) to rescue over 100 dogs from vendors. 

But then...wouldn't you if you saw them in this state?

Could you imagine any of these barbaric acts being carried out upon your pet, or a vulnerable stray?

- Being cooped up in a tiny, wire cage (sometimes with other dogs or cats in there) with no food or water.

- Kept in these conditions for long distances from various regions of China to Yulin

-Beaten in front of other frightened animals

-Throats slit in front of other frightened animals, often skinned immediately afterwards while the animal is struggling to breathe, for the purpose of clothes and, ironically, cat toys. 

-Being grabbed by the neck with metal pinchers and beaten over the head with poles

Personally, without sharing photographs or videos, I feel for some this post may be ineffective because it's not accurately representing the true horrors of what is going on in Yulin as we speak. I have tried to respect those who may be reading this and are very sensitive, as I am myself and hate seeing images and video footage that captures these events. 

But does it not sound horrible and disgusting to you? The fact that there are people out there willing to steal, and put other vulnerable animals in harms way for some money! Tradition is often used as an excuse for this festival, but there should be no pride or tradition made out of harming and slaughtering something that doesn't have a voice or a choice in what's going on around them. 

I hope I am not being hypocritical by campaigning against this foul festival as a meat eater myself (although our methods of making meat in Britain are a lot more ethical)  but I want to raise awareness amongst all my readers, that this does exist. It is not being over-dramatized, these methods and festivities are being celebrated and used as an economic asset. And it needs to stop. China made various statements, saying the Yulin Dog Meat Eating Festival would be over last year, which seemed believable as 10,000 less animals had been slaughtered and prepared last year. But instead, there has been some betrayal in the fact that as I am writing this post, and thousands of pet owners across China are dreading whether their furry friend will be next, the festival is ongoing.

Please have some human decency and do the right thing, cut this years festival short and end it for good, click here to support the petition against the Yulin Dog Meat Eating festival, supported by World Protection of Cats and Dogs in the Meat Trade. It takes no longer than a minute to do. Sparing a minute of your time could spare a dog or cat's life, and spare another family in China from losing a loved pet....

Take care, and please do the right thing xo