It may not be good news yet, but it seems as though the Yulin dog festival’s days are numbered. There
was tentative hope of a ban by the Yulin officials in May. This would have delivered a significant blow to the dog meat industry in China by sending out a strong cultural signal. It didn’t happen though, and the festival is still taking place.

The Yulin Dog Festival is an open slaughter of dogs and cats. Despite the defense of the ancient practice of dog-meat eating, the festival itself isn’t an ancient fixture of Chinese culture – it was officially launched in 2010. It invites the public – including children – to witness the horrifying slaughter of cats and dogs who are caged in the streets (though this is now officially prohibited). Some of these animals are stolen pets.

One positive development is the growing lack of sympathy of the general public towards the event. This
can be attributed to the work of activists, but also to the public horror of the festival itself. These days, only 20 percent of the Chinese population eats dog meat, and the festival’s dead have been reduced from 10,000 to 3,000 – still too many. Young people appear to be much less supportive of the festival and more inclined to be involved in animal activism. Strong resistance has helped bring about these changes, but much more pressure is required to rescue thousands of cats and dogs from their fate.
Now’s the time to raise awareness, sign the petition and donate to rescue groups who are apprehending
animals trucked to the festival!

Further Reading:

https://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/968244/yulin-dog-meat-festival-Peter-Li-days-numbered

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/yulin-dog-meat-festival-china-animal-rights-chinese-culture-western-interference-a7800416.html