Tag: dog meat

Humane Society International / China

Dogs rescued from a slaughterhouse in Yulin, China, June 2019

BEIJING– The city of Shenzhen could become the first in China to ban the eating of dog and cat meat, after a food safety legislative proposal has been drafted in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The proposed law focuses mainly on prohibiting the consumption of wildlife such as snakes, turtles and bats, and the inclusion of cats and dogs has been added specifically in acknowledgement of their status as companion animals rather than for any disease risk fears. The proposal has been welcomed by Humane Society International as having the potential to start a precedent in China to crack down on a trade that sees an estimated 10 million dogs and 4 million cats killed for meat annually.

Shenzhen’s legislators will await public responses to the proposed ban before turning it into law.

Peter Li, China policy expert for Humane Society International, said: “It would be extremely welcome for dog and cat meat consumption to be banned in Shenzhen, particularly because the proposal specifically recognises dogs and cats as companions who must be protected from this brutal and largely illegal trade, a sentiment that could have huge ramifications for the millions of dogs and cats who are stolen across China for human consumption.

Although the trade in Shenzhen is fairly small compared with the rest of the province, Shenzhen is still a huge city and is larger than Wuhan, so this would be very significant and could even have a domino effect with other cities following. Already in Yulin where the notorious dog meat festival is held, most dog slaughter operations have temporarily shut down in the last two months because no dogs are allowed to be transported across provincial boundaries. Although World Health Organisation advice is clear that dogs and cats pose no known coronavirus threat whatsoever, it’s no surprise that attention is turning to this trade at this time. The dog meat trade causes immense cruelty to our companion animals and poses a huge human health risk for other diseases such as rabies.”

Facts about China’s dog meat trade

  1. Thirty million dogs a year are killed across Asia for meat. There are estimated to be more than 91.49 million dogs and cats kept as pets in China. An estimated 10 million dogs a year are killed for China’s dog meat trade.
  2. The World Health Organisation warns that the dog trade spreads rabies and increases the risk of cholera.
  3. Most people in China don’t eat dogs, in fact dog meat is only eaten infrequently by less than 20% of the Chinese population. A 2017 survey revealed that even in Yulin, home of the notorious dog meat festival, most people (72%) don’t regularly eat dog meat despite efforts by dog meat traders to promote it. Nationwide across China, a 2016 survey conducted by Chinese polling company Horizon, and commissioned by Chinese group China Animal Welfare Association in collaboration with Humane Society International and Avaaz, found that most Chinese citizens (64%) want to see an end to the Yulin festival, more than half (51.7%) think the dog meat trade should be completely banned, and the majority (69.5%) have never eaten dog meat.
  4. Dog thieves snatch dogs and cats from the streets, as well as steal them from back yards.
  5. Dogs and cats are typically bludgeoned to death in front of each other, put in the de-hairing machine to remove fur, and the carcass blow-torched for sale to markets. Dog slaughter continues to occur in public places, exposing young children to horrendous brutality and potentially desensitizing China’s younger generations.

Download video and photos of China’s dog meat trade: https://newsroom.humanesociety.org/fetcher/index.php?searchMerlin=1&searchBrightcove=1&submitted=1&mw=d&q=YulinDogMeat0618

ENDS

Media contact: Wendy Higgins, whiggins@hsi.org

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

Guy Harrop/Alamy

LONDON–Around the world, billions of animals suffer for our food, fashion, beauty and entertainment. Many of them lead deprived, miserable lives confined in unnatural conditions or are subjected to deliberate cruelty. It doesn’t have to be that way. By changing our lifestyles to make more compassionate choices, we can all be animal defenders. This World Animal Day on 4th October, global animal charity Humane Society International shares its top tips for preventing animal suffering.

1. Eat less / no meat and dairy

With more than 80 billion land animals reared and slaughtered globally for food every year, not to mention the nearly 3 trillion fish pulled from the ocean and countless more raised on aquatic factory farms, industrial scale animal agriculture is not only one of the biggest animal welfare issues on our planet, it is also one of the leading contributors to climate change and deforestation. For example more than a third of all British egg-laying hens are still locked up in cages, confined to a space not much bigger than a sheet of A4 paper.

By switching to a more plant-based diet, we can spare animals from suffering on factory farms, reduce water and air pollution, as well as help combat climate change through reducing the carbon footprint of our food choices, and conserve precious planetary resources. Moving towards a more plant-based plate also benefits our health as diets high in fruit and vegetables reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.

2. Choose cruelty-free cosmetics

Hundreds of thousands of animals still suffer and die each year around the world to test shampoo, mascara and other cosmetic products and their chemical ingredients. Terrified mice, rabbits, rats and guinea pigs have substances forced down their throats, dripped into their eyes or smeared onto their skin before they are killed. Cosmetic animal tests are archaic chemical-poisoning experiments devised more than half a century ago, such as rodent “acute toxicity” tests (1920s), rabbit eye and skin irritation tests (1940s) and guinea pig skin allergy tests (1950s). By contrast, modern non-animal methods are faster, more accurate at predicting human responses, and less expensive than the animal tests they replace.

HSI and our partners are leading the global effort to ban cosmetic animal testing in the world’s largest and most influential beauty markets. Our #BeCrueltyFree campaign has been instrumental in driving the European Union to become the world’s largest cruelty-free cosmetic market, and in securing subsequent bans in India, Taiwan, New Zealand, South Korea, Guatemala, Australia and in seven states in Brazil. Nearly 40 countries so far have banned cosmetics animal testing.

3. Say no to exploiting animals for entertainment

Around the world, many thousands of animals are exploited for entertainment, from the slow-death sadism of bullfights and cockfights to the neglect and mistreatment of captive marine and land-dwelling wildlife kept for display. The suffering of animals only continues for as long as the public pays to watch, so we can all help by not participating. Bullfights are not “fair fights,” but highly staged forms of government-subsidized animal cruelty that perpetuate the idea that the torment and killing of animals for amusement is acceptable, so please don’t attend these events when in Spain, France or elsewhere. Up to 8,000 lions suffer in captivity in South Africa, bred in appalling conditions for the lion cub petting industry in which tourists pay to bottle feed and take selfies with cubs. Ethical tourists have the power to shut down this industry by removing their custom. Wild animals in circuses, traveling shows and attractions often receive insufficient water, food and shelter, lack veterinary care, can be subjected to repetitive and stressful training, and can spend hours chained or confined. Camels, elephants, donkeys and horses used for tourist rides and safaris are often malnourished and physically abused, and suffer open wounds. Elephants are often stolen from the wild when young, illegally trafficked, broken after capture and punished with bullhooks. They are forced to carry excessive weight, suffer sores and diseases, and receive inadequate care. Whales and dolphins also suffer for entertainment – the natural habitat of orcas and other marine mammals simply cannot be replicated in captivity, and swimming with dolphins increases demand for captive animals, including from brutal “drive fisheries” such as the Taiji hunt in Japan.

4. Reject ‘delicacy’ meat

Across Asia, around 30 million dogs and 10 million cats are brutally killed for meat, most of them stolen pets or strays grabbed from the streets. In South Korea dogs are raised on farms and killed by electrocution; elsewhere in Asia they are usually bludgeoned, hanged or more rarely, boiled alive. In China, Vietnam and Indonesia, hundreds of dogs and cats can be crammed onto a single truck, driven for hours or days without water, food, protection from the extremes of cold and heat, and many suffering broken limbs, shock and disease. The World Health Organization warns that the trade, slaughter and consumption of dogs poses human health risks from trichinellosis, cholera and rabies. More than 70 million sharks are also killed annually for shark fin soup. The trade involves cutting off a shark’s fin, often while it is still alive, and dumping the animal back into the sea to die slowly. Don’t be tempted to eat shark fin soup, or dog or cat meat as “bucket list” items when travelling, as it merely perpetuates this brutal and often illegal trade.

5. Don’t wear fur

Millions of foxes, mink, raccoon dogs, rabbits and coyotes die every year for fashion. Confined in small, wire-mesh cages on factory farms or captured by painful metal traps in the wild, their fur is turned into frivolous keychain trinkets or trim on coats and hats. The average life span of an animal intensively farmed for fur is just eight months, after which mink will be gassed and foxes and raccoon dogs will be electrocuted. These terrible conditions can create psychological disorders, causing the animals to constantly pace and circle the boundaries of their cramped space, as well as fighting between cage mates and even cannibalism. Fur – and leather – are also incredibly polluting industries. The dressing and tanning processes, which stop the animal’s skin and pelt from decomposing as they would naturally do, use toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde, cyanide, lead and chromium which can be released into waterways and devastate wildlife. These products are only natural whilst they are still on a living animal, after that the processes used to preserve and dress leather and fur are anything but earth-friendly. For the estimated 100 million animals killed for fur, life is typically a miserable existence. The future of fashion is compassion, with cruelty-free alternatives becoming more popular than ever with ethical consumers.

ENDS

Media contact: United Kingdom – Wendy Higgins whiggins@hsi.org

Humane Society International/Korea says closures of Moran and Gupo dog meat markets mark end of a gruesome era

Humane Society International

SEOUL – South Korean authorities have shut down Gupo dog meat market in Busan, notorious for being one of the country’s largest markets selling chilled dog meat as well as live dogs killed to order. More than 80 live but terrified dogs were rescued as part of a negotiated closure with the dog meat vendors who will be offered compensation to set up alternative businesses as part of a remodelling project to regenerate the area.

The dogs are now in the care of animal charities Humane Society International/Korea, Korean Animal Welfare Association, Korea Animal Rights Advocates and Busan Korean Alliance for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, who worked with the authorities to close Gupo market. Busan’s Mayor Geodon Oh and the Head of Gu office, Myung Hee Chung, worked together with the dog traders to find a solution.

The closure of Gupo is the latest in a series of crack downs by officials on the cruel trade. In November last year, Seongnam city demolished Taepyeong, the country’s largest dog slaughterhouse, and closed down most of the related dog meat vendors. However, the closure of Gupo market is the first such closure where complete agreement has been reached between the vendors and local authorities.

Photos and video of the dog market and slaughterhouse closure and rescue are available for download here: https://newsroom.humanesociety.org/fetcher/index.php?searchMerlin=1&searchBrightcove=1&submitted=1&mw=d&q=MarketRescue0719

Nara Kim, dog meat campaigner for Humane Society International/Korea (휴메인 소사이어티 인터내셔널) who attended the closure and rescue, says: “I cannot express enough my joy at helping to close down the dog meat shops and slaughterhouse at Gupo market. For decades they have stood as a very public symbol of the immense cruelty of the dog meat trade, with live dogs displayed in cages on the street for shoppers to select for slaughter by electrocution. The closure of Gupo’s dog meat market means the end of a gruesome era in South Korea’s dog meat history, and a sign of the times that law enforcement and local authorities are cracking down on this increasingly unpopular industry that most Koreans want nothing to do with. I know we have a long way to go to end the dog meat trade here, but even two years ago I would never have believed we would see such progress. It has been a pleasure to work with the Busan authorities, and especially in being able to save the last remaining dogs we found alive.”

At the height of business at Gupo in the 1970s and 1980s, the market housed around 60 dog meat shops but after the Seoul Olympic in 1988 it started to decrease. Just 17 dog meat vendors and two dog tonic (gaesoju) shops remained before today’s closure.

Humane Society International/Korea’s rescue team was on site to assist the closure and rescue with partners KARA, KAWA and Busan KAPCA. They found more than 80 mainly jindo mix dogs cowering in their cages, just a handful of the estimated 2 million dogs bred on thousands of dog meat farms across the country. HSI/Korea specialises in working with dog meat farmers to close down these farms and transition farmers to alternative, humane livelihoods. Increasingly, dog farmers are keen to exit the controversial trade due to societal shame, family pressure and decreasing profits.

HSI/Korea’s Nara Kim says: “The dog market scene was really upsetting, with dogs displayed in cages in front of each store. The smell was overwhelming.  HSI has closed down 14 dog meat farms in South Korea and rescued nearly 1,800 dogs, all of whom would have ended up in a terrible place just like this. All the dogs at Gupo have been removed and transported to a temporary shelter where they will recover from their ordeal. A few will remain in Korea to find new homes, but HSI will fly all the others overseas to Canada or the United States to get the love and care they deserve before being placed with shelter and rescue partners who will seek adoptive homes.”

Kim Ae-ra, president of Busan Korean Alliance for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said: “We started anti-dog meat protests in front of Gupo dog meat market for the first time in 2007 and so we are deeply moved that the market will be the first complete shutdown of its kind in Korea.”

Yim Soonrye of Korea Animal Rights Advocates, said: “Dog slaughterhouses are collapsing one by one, from Seongnam Moran Market to Taepyeong-dong and Busan Gupo Market, and in addition Gyeonggi Province has introduced its own judicial polices to crack down on illegal dog slaughterhouses. This all shows that the Korean dog meat industry is starting to fall. As local governments are moving forward, the Korean government must also take action by closing all illegal dog farms, by the Blue House keeping its promise to exclude dogs from the legal definition of ‘livestock’, and by the National Assembly passing the proposed bill to end the dog meat industry before the end of next year’s session. We welcome the decision made by Busan Metropolitan City and the merchants of Gupo, and believe that the shutdown of Gupo dog market will be a major stepping stone towards ending dog meat in Korea.”

Cho Hee-kyung, president of Korean Animal Welfare Association, said: “The permanent shutdown of Gupo dog meat market is a long-awaited victory against animal cruelty in our campaign to end the dog meat trade in South Korea. We will now step forward to call for the shutdown of Chil-seong market, another large dog meat market in Daegu.”

Facts

  • Dog meat consumption is declining rapidly in South Korea, particularly among younger generations. A survey by Gallup Korea conducted in June 2018 shows that 70% of South Koreans say they will not eat dog meat in future.
  • Busan city has signed a closure contract with each dog meat vendor, contractually prevented from transitioning to other dog meat related businesses. The entire street of stores will be demolished.
  • The regeneration plan is due for completion by 2020 and will culminate in the launch of a community park.
  • Busan city veterinarians will give all the rescued dogs a health check, and further care and vaccinations will be performed by HSI and partnering local groups. Every dog will be tested for the presence of the H3N2 virus (dog flu), and vaccinated against rabies, DHPP, corona virus vaccines, distemper and parvo. The dogs will then be quarantined in Korea under the groups’ care before travel to Canada and the United States.
  • The decision by the Busan authorities to close the dog market at Gupo is the result of lots of factors, not least years of protests by local residents and Korean animal groups including CARE, and Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation.

 

Media contacts:

  • HSI/Korea휴메인 소사이어티 인터내셔널: Nara Kim김나라  nkim@hsi.org  010-2834-5703
  • HSI/United Kingdom: Wendy Higgins whiggins@hsi.org +44 (0)7989 972 423

Golden retrievers, German shepherds, Rottweilers rescued

Humane Society International / Global

DALIAN, China – Law enforcement in Dalian, China and local animal protection group VShine have shut down an illegal dog slaughterhouse in the city after a tip-off from an outraged citizen. Dalian law enforcement and Vshine have worked together for years to promote animal welfare, and the city operates a zero-tolerance policy to the dog meat trade. The slaughterhouse had only recently been opened by a man who lives outside the city.

Seven dogs were found alive at the property in suburban Dalian when police and activists moved in, mostly German shepherds, golden retrievers and a Rottweiler. The slaughterhouse operator surrendered the dogs to Vshine so that they could receive veterinary attention at their shelter, a partner project supported by animal charity Humane Society International. One of the dogs was wearing a pet collar, but it is suspected that the others could have been former guard or farm dogs who were either stolen or purchased from their owners.

Dezhi Yu of Vshine, said: “We are very proud that in Dalian you will rarely find a restaurant serving dog meat, and generally citizens here care very much about their dogs and cats. So when we received a call about this new slaughterhouse, we and the law enforcement officers acted immediately to shut it down. Whenever anyone dares to open such a cruel business here, they are very quickly reported and the police take immediate action. If all police across China were as active as Dalian police, we could crack down on the cruel dog and cat meat trade almost overnight.”

The rescued dogs are now recovering at Vshine’s animal shelter in northeast China where HSI funding will help support their veterinary care and rehabilitation.

Dr Peter Li, Humane Society International’s China policy expert, says: “Most people in China don’t eat dogs, but the city of Dalian is particularly progressive on animal welfare, and a shining example of what the whole of China could achieve if animal protection were taken more seriously. The dog meat trade is not welcome in Dalian, with the local police and animal activists using China’s food safety laws to eliminate this cruelty in the absence of any animal protection legislation. If all Chinese police acted the same, we could have a massive impact on the dog and cat meat trade. If China went further and introduced a robust animal cruelty law, we could eradicate the trade very quickly.”

Facts about China’s dog meat trade

  1. Thirty million dogs a year are killed across Asia for meat. There are estimated to be more than 91.49 million dogs and cats kept as pets in China. An estimated 10 million dogs a year are killed for China’s dog meat trade.
  2. The World Health Organisation warns that the dog trade spreads rabies and increases the risk of cholera.
  3. Most people in China don’t eat dogs, in fact dog meat is only eaten infrequently by less than 20 per cent of the Chinese population. A 2017 survey revealed that even in Yulin, home of the notorious dog meat festival, most people (72%) don’t regularly eat dog meat despite efforts by dog meat traders to promote it. Nationwide across China, a 2016 survey conducted by Chinese polling company Horizon, and commissioned by Chinese group China Animal Welfare Association in collaboration with Humane Society International and Avaaz, found that most Chinese citizens (64%) want to see an end to the Yulin festival, more than half (51.7%) think the dog meat trade should be completely banned, and the majority (69.5%) have never eaten dog meat.
  4. Dog thieves snatch dogs and cats from the streets, as well as steal them from back yards.
  5. Dogs and cats are typically bludgeoned to death in front of each other, put in the de-hairing machine to remove fur, and the carcass blow-torched for sale to markets. Dog slaughter continues to occur in public places, exposing young children to horrendous brutality and potentially desensitizing China’s younger generations.

 

Download photos of the dogs rescued from the Dalian slaughterhouse: https://newsroom.humanesociety.org/fetcher/index.php?searchMerlin=1&searchBrightcove=1&submitted=1&mw=d&q=DalianRescue0619

 

 

 

Media contact:

Wendy Higgins, Director of International Media: whiggins@hsi.org +44 (0)7989 972 423 

Dame Judi Dench and violinist Vanessa-Mae send messages of solidarity

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

LONDON – Dame Judi Dench and violinist Vanessa-Mae have sent heart-felt messages of support and solidarity for a 1.5 million-signature petition by Care2 and Humane Society International, delivered today to the Chinese Embassy by dogs rescued from China’s annual Yulin dog meat festival. The festival, which starts on 21st June, sees thousands of dogs and cats beaten to death and eaten, most of them stolen pets grabbed from back yards and the streets. Most people in China don’t eat dogs, and pet owners and dog thieves have had numerous violent clashes.

Snorki, Fred and two dogs named Lily were saved from Yulin slaughterhouses in 2016 and 2018 by Chinese partner groups supported by animal charity Humane Society International. HSI and the ‘ambassadogs’ were joined by petition partners Care2 as well as Clacton MP Giles Watling who shares the campaigners’ desire to see urgent action to end the gruesome spectacle of Yulin.

Claire Bass, Executive Director of Humane Society International/UK, said: “The dog meat trade in China is first and foremost about crime and cruelty. The Yulin festival is one small but distressing example of an unspeakably cruel trade run by dog thieves and sellers who routinely steal pets in broad daylight using poison darts and rope nooses, defy public health and safety laws, and cause horrendous suffering, all for a meat that most people in China don’t consume. Dogs like Snorki, Fred and Lily are amazing ambassadors for our campaign to end this horror, we are proud to deliver this petition with them. And we’re immensely proud to support dedicated animal advocates in China who passionately work to end the dog meat trade, saving so many lives along the way.” 

Beth Granter from Care2, the online community, says: “The huge number of signatures on this petition shows the strength of feeling against Yulin dog meat festival. Care2 members want to see an end to the dog meat trade entirely. When people’s pets are being stolen, cruelly killed and then eaten, this is inhumane, and has to stop. We hope that the Chinese authorities will hear the voices of over 1.5M people who want to see an end to this cruelty.”

Actress Dame Judi Dench sent a message of support for the petition delivery, saying: “It fills me with sadness to think that the Yulin dog meat festival is just around the corner again. So I wanted to send this message as a symbol of my solidarity with all the thousands of people in China against the dog meat trade, who love their dogs and cats just as much as we do, but who go through the awful heart ache of having them stolen by dog thieves. I cannot imagine the suffering of those poor dogs, and I hope very much that one day soon this cruel trade will end.” 

Violinist Vanessa-Mae showed her support with a video message, saying: “Please join us in solidarity as we want to see an end to China’s barbaric dog meat trade including the horrific Yulin dog meat festival… Along with compassionate people in China, who do care about dog welfare, please show that you also have a heart, and support us in calling on China to end such cruel and heart breaking treatment of dogs.”

The Yulin dog meat festival is not a traditional festival. It was only invented in 2010 by dog traders trying to boost flagging meat sales. Before the festival started, Yulin had no history of mass dog slaughter and consumption. The World Health Organisation has warned that the dog meat trade spreads lethal diseases such as rabies and cholera.

The Yulin dog meat festival begins in earnest on 21st June to mark the summer solstice. When first launched, as many as 15,000 dogs were killed during the core festival days, but Chinese and international pressure has seen this figure decline to around 3,000 dogs. However, many hundreds are still killed each day in the weeks leading up to the festival, and an estimated 10 million dogs and 4 million cats are killed for meat throughout the year across China.

Giles Watling, MP said “I am proud to stand with so many others in calling on the Chinese government to end the cruel Yulin dog meat festival. An action that would save thousands of dogs from terrible suffering each year, and also help prevent pet theft and the spread of rabies within China. I implore the Chinese authorities to heed the calls from compassionate citizens both inside China and across the world who want to see the abhorrent dog meat trade ended once and for all.”

Photos and video downloads

 

 

Media Contact:

Humane Society International: Wendy Higgins, Director of International Media: +44(0)7989 972 423, whiggins@hsi.org

Chinese activists call on dog lovers worldwide to condemn brutal trade

Humane Society International / China

BEIJING—Chinese animal activists have released distressing images from inside a filthy, backstreet dog slaughterhouse in Yulin, China just days ahead of the city holding its annual dog meat festival at which thousands of dogs and cats will be killed and eaten.

Download photos and video of the rescue here: https://newsroom.humanesociety.org/fetcher/index.php?searchMerlin=1&searchBrightcove=1&submitted=1&mw=d&q=ChinaRescue0619

The activists, who wish to remain anonymous, rescued 62 terrified dogs from Yulin on 12th June. Communicating via other Chinese activists with whom the rescue team worked, animal charity Humane Society International has received and released footage and photos from the rescue, and has been responding to requests to accommodate and care for some of these dogs.

The dogs were severely dehydrated and malnourished, with some showing signs of sickness and infection. They are mostly small breeds typical of pet dogs in China, and some were still wearing their collars when rescued. Most dogs and cats caught up in China’s meat trade are believed to be strays snatched from the streets and pets stolen from people’s backyards, in clear violation of Chinese laws. They are crammed into wire cages and driven for hours or even days across the country, before reaching the slaughterhouse where they are beaten to death.

The Yulin dog meat festival begins in earnest on 21st June to mark the summer solstice. It is not a traditional festival, but was invented as recently as 2010 by dog traders trying to boost flagging dog meat sales. Before the festival started, Yulin had no history of mass dog slaughter and consumption.

Wei, one of the Chinese activists, told HSI: “It was swelteringly hot inside the slaughterhouse when we got there, the dogs were exhausted and panting, some pressing themselves tight against the wall in an effort not to be noticed. Others chased around our legs eager for attention. We noticed straight away that some of them were wearing pet collars so they were probably stolen, and some of them looked very sick so we quickly loaded them on the truck to get them to our temporary shelter quickly to receive emergency veterinary treatment. The slaughter man told us that these dogs were likely one of the last truckloads of dogs entering Yulin before the festival because the local government was likely to stop further trucks from entering the city, but we didn’t stick around to verify that. We want the world to see the horrors of China’s dog meat trade of which Yulin is typical, and for dog lovers everywhere to stand up against this terrible cruelty. Please don’t waste your breath calling dog eating Chinese culture. It is not our culture to steal people’s pets. It is not our culture to eat dogs.”

The 62 dogs were immediately driven to a temporary shelter where they received emergency care, food and water. The dogs were rested for several days before leaving Yulin to make the journey to the various different permanent shelters that will care for them longer term, including one supported by HSI in north China. Some of the dogs who receive HSI help will eventually be placed for adoption in the United States, whilst others will be available for adoption within China or be cared for longer term at the shelter.

Dr Peter Li, HSI’s China policy specialist, commented on the rescue, saying: “Yulin is a very tense place right now, with dog traders and slaughterhouses on high alert, so it was difficult for these Chinese activists to win the trust of this facility to release the dogs. We commend their efforts to show the world the suffering of these poor animals, and to expose the dog theft that lies behind the dog meat trade. These dogs are traumatised and in need of veterinary treatment, but they are the lucky ones because for them at least the horror of Yulin is over. Sadly, thousands more will still die at Yulin, and millions across China, unless decisive action is taken. So we urge the Chinese government to show that it will not tolerate the dog thief gangs who perpetuate this trade, and bring an end to the brutal dog and cat meat trade.”

The dog meat trade isn’t just an issue of animal welfare, it also poses a serious threat to human health. The World Health Organisation has warned that the dog trade spreads lethal diseases such as rabies and cholera. Yulin has long been a city with one of the highest rates of human rabies cases in China, and the local trade undermines the Chinese government’s goal of eliminating rabies in China by 2025. Selling and processing meat from sick and dying dogs in Yulin and elsewhere is also a serious violation of China’s food safety law, and yet the trade is allowed to persist with relatively little legal sanction.

Fast facts about Yulin and China’s dog meat trade

1. Most people in China don’t eat dogs, in fact dog meat is only eaten infrequently by less than 20 per cent of the Chinese population. A 2017 survey conducted by Chinese state-registered charities and assisted by a team of six research staff from the Yulin Municipal Government, revealed that most people living in Yulin (72 percent) don’t regularly eat dog meat despite efforts by dog meat traders to promote it.

2. A 2016 survey conducted by Chinese polling company Horizon, and commissioned by Chinese group China Animal Welfare Association in collaboration with Humane Society International and Avaaz, found that most Chinese citizens (64 percent) want to see an end to the Yulin festival, more than half (51.7 percent) think the dog meat trade should be completely banned, and the majority (69.5 percent) have never eaten dog meat.

3. When first launched in 2010, as many as 15,000 dogs were killed during the core festival days, but Chinese and international pressure has seen this figure reduce to around 3,000 dogs. However, many hundreds are still killed each day in the weeks leading up to the festival.

4. An estimated 30 million dogs a year are killed across Asia for their meat, some 10-20 million in China alone.

 

Media Contacts:
United Kingdom: Wendy Higgins, HSI Director of International Media: +44(0)7989 972 423, whiggins@hsi.org

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