Want China Times, Chen Po-ting Staff Reporter, 2015-06-20
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| Dogs hung out at a butcher's stall in Yulin, Guangxi, 2014. (Photo/CFP) |
Amid
abounding criticism at home and abroad, the The Yulin Dog Meat Festival will
kick off on June 21. Dog meat sellers in Guangxi said they felt the festival
has been stigmatized but are remaining resilient and preparing their dogs all
the same, writes our sister paper China Times.
The
controversial "Dog Meat Festival" is viewed as a traditional summer
event for those living in Yulin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. In recent
years, many animal welfare groups have come out against the festival, calling
it crueal and inhumane to man's best friend.
Major
animal group Humane Society International (HSI) filmed a short documentary on
dogs being slaughtered in Yulin's dog meat butcheries. The film got many
concerned about the practice, with British comedian Ricky Gervais even asking
his fans to sign a petition to ban the festival and the dog meat trade. He said
that the film broke his heart and that he would never forget the faces of those
slaughtered dogs. He went on to say that no animal should be treated like that.
Netizens
also took to Twitter, with over 250,000 people tweeting "Stop Yulin."
Peter Li, a
staff from HIS stated that he saw hundreds of dogs killed and hung out on the
street. There were also cats jammed into crowded cages, some not even having
the ability to stand and just waiting for death. There was also blood, organs,
and bones scattered everywhere, Li said.
Facing wave
after wave of condemnation, Yulin's dog sellers said that the event is a traditional
festival which began with their ancestors and that the dogs are mainly from
puppy mills.
 |
One dealer
threatens to strangle the dog if no one offers a better
price. A
woman instantly pays his price. (Photo/CFP)
|
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