A dog meat fare in China is expecting a record turnout this year, a charity campaigning to ban the horrific practice has lamented.
China's notoriously stringent Covid lockdown measures have been lifted at last, meaning that there is a massive tourism drive for national and international visitors across the country.
Guangxi, which is home to the Yulin Dog Festival, is no different, and NoToDogMeat is now appealing for donations to help care for the dogs rescued from the barbaric pooch prison.
Founder Julia de Cadenet is appealing for donations to help volunteers care for dogs her organisation has rescued from the Yulin Dog Meat Festival, in Guangxi, China.
The non-profit currently has two dog shelters in China itself. More than 700 dogs call the shelters their homes after being rescued from the dinner plate.
It's obvious that this year's 10-day festival of gorging on man's best friend will lead to a surge in cases, meaning that more room will be needed to house the pooches.
Dog meat is a staple in some parts of the world, mainly in Asia, and an estimated 10 million canines are killed and eaten every year in China alone.
The trade is completely unregulated and it's not uncommon for household pets to be stolen from their owner's homes.
Each year, desperate scenes are shared across the world showing dogs still weaing their owner's collar around their necks while crammed into overpacked cages. On many occasions, they are transported for hundreds of miles without food or water.
What makes Yulin particularly gruesome is the fact that the dogs are bludgeoned or left to bleed out after having their throats slit, in full view of the other animals awaiting slaughter.
At one point, the festival saw 10,000 dogs murdered during the 10 days. Now that number has thankfully dropped but there are still an unimaginable 3,000 butchered during the same time period.
However, Julia fears the number of dogs may surge again this year due to the lifting of Covid restrictions.
She said: “We are expecting this year’s festival to be even bigger than in the pandemic years, as covid restrictions have now been lifted.
“The festival never really went away, but this year the pressure will be on to create a spectacle for tourists again. And this blood lust will lead to the inhumane and unsanitary slaughter of thousands of dogs.
“Our charity is often the first on the ground in these rescue situations, so we are trying to get together a fighting fund to ensure that we can save as many dogs as possible.”
“Last year our charity worked alongside local activists to stop multiple trucks laden with dogs. These were the largest trucks we had seen since 2017. Slaughterhouses even in the provinces close to our shelter continue to operate.
“When we go to slaughterhouses to rescue dogs, the sheer scale of the problem is laid out, dogs are wearing collars which include government issued ID, that does not deter the butchers. These are people’s pets.”
The charity hold UN Special Consultative Status and has been fundraising in preparation for the upcoming festival, and is also in dire need of vet supplies like gloves and equipment.
You can find more information about NoToDogMeat and sponsor their Yulin support drive on their website, here.
