Another Year of Terror – But Fresh Hope – at the Yulin Dog Meat Festival

Last Chance for Animals' Special Investigations Team witnessed nightmares during the June 21st Yulin Dog Meat Festival, a brutal "celebration" to mark the summer solstice. Piles of dead dogs, skin scorched to a crisp; puppies awaiting death in festering cages; and butchers hacking up the corpses of former pets. Puppies begged for attention, only to be bludgeoned and sold as meat. 

But despite the heartbreaking scene, new hope exists. People across the globe spread the word about the horror via social media, and more than 400,000 people signed LCA's petition to shut the Yulin Dog Meat Festival down. Due to this public outcry, an estimated 20 percent fewer dogs were killed for the Yulin Dog Meat Festival in 2015. Chances are better than ever of shutting next year's festival down entirely.

Despite popular belief, dog meat is not a commonly consumed commodity in China, and is not a part of the mainstream culture. As more Chinese start bringing dogs into their homes as pets, dog meat sales are diminishing.

It's also illegal to sell dog meat – but sadly, the law goes unenforced. It’s time for the Yulin government to answer for years of inaction towards these illicit dog slaughters that do nothing but fuel a cruel and dying industry. 

Your voices have already helped decrease the death count of the Yulin Dog Meat Festival. Now we must work to end it completely before another festival can take place in June of 2016. We thank everyone who signed our petition to tell the Yulin government to stop the festival and urge those who haven’t to strengthen our appeal by signing today. Your voice could mean the difference between life and death for thousands of innocent dogs.