The controversial annual dog meat cooking festival

Despite all the protests and a petition with more than 11 million signatures, the annual dog meat cooking festival is taking place this week. Over ten days, approximately 10, 000 dogs and cats will be killed.

Aiming to celebrate the summer solstice, the event takes place annually in the city of Yulin, China, and is held by locals. In an interview with the Associated Press, one of them stated that it is a tradition and that they can not stop celebrating the festival just because of animal lovers.

Festival is tradition since the 1990s

In the country where the tradition of consuming this type of meat is secular, it is estimated that between 10 and 20 million dogs are killed every year for human consumption.

Hundreds of activists have been protesting and even buying animals so that they will not be slaughtered, such as American Marc Ching. Along with his girlfriend, he went to China and pretended to be a dog dealer for the slaughter. So he was able to buy a thousand dogs, which were sent to the United States for treatment.

The controversial annual dog meat cooking festival

The controversial annual dog meat cooking festival

The controversial annual dog meat cooking festival

The controversial annual dog meat cooking festival

The controversial annual dog meat cooking festival

Responsible for an animal rescue and care foundation, Ching also said that he managed to convince some slaughterers not to sell the dogs for this purpose and, through a financial incentive, instructed them to start a new business.

Many people believe that the meat of a dog that has been tortured tastes better and so many are killed in cruel ways, being beaten and burned.

Actors such as Matt Damon and Joaquin Phoenix spoke out against the festival, showing some of the terrible aspects such as animals that are stolen, imprisoned and starving. To make matters worse, many people believe that the meat of a dog that has been tortured tastes better and so many are killed in cruel ways, being beaten and burned.

The festival has never been officially recognized by the Government or by any law and in recent years the rulers have tried to downsize the event. In addition, Humane Society International found through its activists that the number of dead dogs displayed on the streets has decreased considerably and that consumption is being done indoors rather than outdoors.

Despite all the criticism, supporters continue to support the festival and believe it is hypocrisy that people consume the meat of other animals and judge Chinese custom.

Even the Guardian newspaper came into play and published an article in which it states that Westerners kill and eat “farm animals” in huge numbers, so only vegans could really object to the festival.