Yulin dog meat festival
Every June the city of Yulin, situated in the Guangxi province in Southern China, celebrates the summer solstice with a dog-eating festival, where around 10,000 dogs and 4,000 cats are tortured, killed and eaten. Many of the animals are strays, but there are also stolen pets, and some people even sell their own pets to the restaurants. The dogs are subject to horrific suffering, much because of the myth that the meat of a tortured dog tastes better.
It’s legal to eat dog meat in China, and as there are no animal welfare laws to protect pets, there is no punishment for torturing them. However there are strict rules that the animals must have 'health certificates' before they are transported, but this is completely ignored by the Yulin authorities. Most of the animals are transported long distances in tiny, cramped cages to the festival area and many of them die from shock, starvation and dehydration on the journey. Many of the animals are poisoned or sick, and there are serious hygiene problems. There’s a high risk of rabies and other diseases especially for the people who handle the animals. The Guangxi province has the highest number of rabies deaths in China.
In 2015 there was an unprecedented movement on the social media to stop the festival. The hashtag #StopYulin2015 had about 1.3 million tweets on Twitter during June, and there was a great number of online petitions to ban the festival. The Canadian Raise Ur Paw’s petition to the Governor of Yulin Guang Xi Province and the Chinese Minister of Agriculture was supported by Ricky Gervais and other celebrities and received more than 4 million signatures. The festival also gained publicity especially in the English media, but also in other languages.
Despite global outrage and the efforts of Chinese and international activists who were on site to protest, the festival went on in June 2015. In late May the Yulin authorities claimed that there would be no dog section in this year’s festival, but it was obviously a lie. The animals were butchered beforehand and during the night to avoid the activists, and the character for ”dog” was covered up at many restaurants. This year the dog meat traders were very particularly aggressive towards the activists. When some of the activists wanted to buy some animals, the traders threatened that they would torture the animals even more if they didn’t get the price they wanted. As in previous years, Mrs. Yang Xiaoyun, 65, saved hundreds of dogs and cats by buying them with her savings and transporting them to her home town where she has a dog shelter.
Below are links to articles in different languages about the Yulin festival 2015.
ENGLISH
2 July 2015, The Telegraph
"Yulin dog meat festival: Thousands of animals slaughtered in China, in pictures"
2 July 2015, The Independent
"Chinese dog meat festival: Woman who saved 500 dogs from slaughter describes Yulin horror"
30 June 2015, Business Insider
"This Chinese dog-eating festival's days are numbered thanks to a massive social media campaign"
28 June 2015, BBC News
"The day my dog was cooked for dinner"
28 June 2015, The Independent
”'Dogs are friends not food' - Dublin protesters condemn 'barbaric' Yulin dog meat festival”
27 June 2015, Huffington Post
”'Horrible' Yulin Dog Meat Festival Protest Outside Chinese Embassy In London Attracts Hundreds”
26 June 2015, Reuters
”Dog-meat festival”
25 June 2015, Want China Times
”Yulin government can't duck responsibility for illegal dog meat sales”
24 June 2015, Global Times
”One woman’s fight against dog eaters”
23 June 2015, Express
”Woman travels 1,500 miles to save 100 dogs from slaughter at Yulin Dog Meat Festival”
23 June 2015, International New York Times
”Chinese City Defends Dog Meat Festival, Despite Scorn”
23 June 2015, Daily Mail
”Simon Cowell and Ricky Gervais lead the call to ban ‘disgraceful animal torture and cruelty’ at Chinese dog meat festival”
23 June 2015, news.com.au
”China’s sick dog-eating festival spreads rabies to humans”
22 June 2015, Daily Mail
”Raising a glass as they gorge on dog meat, the Chinese fans of the Yulin festival ignore global fury to begin the annual feast”
22 June 2015, Hollywood Reporter
”China's Dog Meat Festival Protested by Ricky Gervais, Chloe Grace Moretz”
22 June 2015, BBC News
”China Yulin dog meat festival under way despite outrage”
22 June 2015, The Guardian
”'When the buying stops, the killing can too' – Chinese dog meat festival faces internal pressure”
22 June 2015, Sky News
”Dog Meat Festival Faces Social Media Backlash”
22 June 2015, People
”Ricky Gervais, Gisele Bündchen, Ruby Rose, and Paris Hilton Slam China's Dog Eating Festival”
22 June 2015, CCTV America
”Animal rights groups protest dog meat festival in Yulin”
22 June 2015, International Business Times
”China: Ricky Gervais and Chen Kun among celebrities who condemn Yulin dog meat festival”
22 June 2015, Huffington Post
”Yulin Dog Meat Festival Campaigner, Yang Xiaoyun, Travels 1,500 Miles To Save 100 Dogs From Slaughter”
22 June 2015, Daily Mail
”Playful puppy pleas for attention... unaware it is about to be skinned alive and cooked: Heartbreaking image from China's annual dog meat festival where tens of thousands of animals are killed”
22 June 2015, News.com.au
”China’s sick dog-eating festival spreads rabies to humans”
21 June 2015, The Telegraph
”Thousands of dogs and cats slaughtered at China festival despite government promises to crack down”
21 June 2015, Mirror
”The brutal dog eating festival that sees hounds beaten to death and blow torched”
21 June 2015, IBN Live
”Alia Bhatt, Sonakshi Sinha and Anushka Sharma raise their voice against Yulin Dog Meat Eating Festival”
22 June 2015, The Independent
”Yulin festival: Animal loving woman pays $1,000 to save 100 dogs at meat market from slaughter”
21 June 2015, Time
”This Woman Saved 100 Dogs From Being Eaten at a Controversial Festival in China”
19 June 2015, Huffington Post
”Yulin Dog Meat Torture Festival Will Go Ahead Despite Celebrity Pleas”
19 June 2015, The Wall Street Journal
”Chinese Officials Hounded by Activists as Dog-Eating Festival Nears”
19 June 2015, Daily Mail
”Business is booming at the Yulin No.1 Crispy Dog Meat restaurant: Cats and canines crammed into cages ready for slaughter days ahead of meat festival that's outraged the world”
19 June 2015, CNN
”Friend or food? Dog meat trade divides China”
19 June 2015, Washington Post
”China’s annual dog-eating festival prompts social media firestorm”
18 June 2015, Daily Mail
”The heroic woman who is trying to save hundreds of dogs from the dinner plate at China's barbaric annual 'meat festival'”
17 June 2015, The Independent
”Yulin Dog Meat Festival: Netizens rally in defence of event that will see 10,000 cats and dogs slaughtered”
17 June 2015, The Straits Times
”Celebrities join campaign to stop dog meat festival in China”
16 June 2015, Empty Lighthouse Magazine
”Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley & Ricky Gervais fight to stop Yulin dog eating festival”
16 June 2015, The Sydney Morning Herald
”Yulin Dog Meat 'Festival of cruelty' to slaughter 10,000 dogs”
16 June 2015, HNGN
”Yulin Dog Meat Festival 2015: Ricky Gervais And Animal Lovers Want China To Ban Event”
15 June 2015, Xposé.ie
”Ricky Gervais campaigns against China dog meat trade”
15 June 2015, South China Morning Post
”Dog slaughter in the name of 'tradition' shames China”
15 June 2015, International Business Times
”Ricky Gervais backs animal rights charity to shut down China's Yulin dog meat festival”
15 June 2015, Film-News
”Ricky Gervais: Yulin Dog Meat Festival is heart-breaking”
15 June 2015, Express
”Ricky Gervais joins fight against cruel dog meat trade after watching HARROWING video”
15 June 2015, Creature Companions
”Strong Outrage against Yulin Dog Meat Festival 2015”
15 June 2015, Tribute
”Ricky Gervais campaigns against China dog meat trade”
15 June 2015, The Doginton Post
”#StopYuLin2015: 10,000 Dogs Tortured as Part of Annual Yulin Dog-Eating Festival”
14 June 2015, International Business Times
”Yulin Dog Meat Festival 2015: China Officials Beseeched By Animal Rights Activists As Solstice Approaches”
11 June 2015, The Star
”Ricky Gervais backs Canadian’s bid to end dog-eating festival in China”
11 June 2015, Observers France24
”Chinese activists fight to shut down dog meat festivals”
11 June 2015, Bowwow Times
”Help Put An End To The Dog Meat Trade #StopYuLin”
10 June 2015, Metro (Canada)
”Ricky Gervais promotes Canadian’s bid to end dog-eating festival in China”
9 June 2015, AOL
”Culture and animal rights clash over Yulin dog meat festival”
9 June 2015, Newsy
”Culture And Animal Rights Clash Over Yulin Dog Meat Festival”
9 June 2015, Contact Music
”Ricky Gervais And David Soul Back Dog Meat Campaign”
8 June 2015, The Mirror
”Controversial dog eating festival could lead to massive spike in rabies cases”
8 June 2015, The Independent
”Stop the Yulin Dog Meat Festival in China: Animal welfare campaigners restart petition amid distrust over government 'ban'”
5 June 2015, AOL
”Stolen dogs in China skinned alive at festival. Now cat is on the menu too”
5 June 2015, Global Times
”Guangxi denies knowledge of petition”
4 June 2015, Inquistr
”Yulin Dog Meat Festival: China Introduces Cat Meat To Its Controversial Annual Feast Of Pet Flesh”
4 June 2015, Yahoo News
”#StopYulin2015: Storm Over Chinese Dog Meat Festival”
3 June 2015, The Examiner
”Dog-eating festival: Annual Chinese canine slaughter finding internet opposition”
3 June 2015, Mirror
”'Slaughtered pet dogs hanging on hooks': Undercover footage lays bare China's horrifying 'meat festival'”
3 June 2015, The Times
”Fur flies over dog meat fest”
3 June 2015, The Herald Live
”Protests as dogs in China skinned alive for their meat”
3 June 2015, Consumer Affairs
”Chinese dog meat festival may be banned ... or not”
3 June 2015, Magazine Good
”Thousands Unite to Save China’s Dogs With #StopYulin2015”
3 June 2015, 3 Million Dogs
”Dog meat festival causes social media uproar”
2 June 2015, PRI
”Reviled China fest prompts dog-eating debate”
2 June 2015, The Telegraph
”China's annual dog meat festival under growing pressure as 200,000 sign petition”
1 June 2015, BBC News
”Chinese dog-eating festival outrages foreigners”
1 June 2015, Metro
”Shocking photographs show the horrific reality of banned cat and dog meat festival in China”
10 April 2015, The Examiner
”Efforts underway to stop cats and dogs from being slaughtered for meat”
2 March 2015, Newteknews
”Stop Yulin Dog Eating Festival China”
10 February 2015, CCTV America
”Protestors hope to end annual dog eating festival in southern Chinese city”
9 February 2015, Moonproject
”What are you waiting for? Stop Yulin Festival!”
DUTCH
20 June 2015, NOS
”Honden in China: van vlees naar vriend”
8 June 2015, PZC
”Duizenden honden en katten geslacht voor Chinees festival”
8 June 2015, De Morgen
”Duizenden honden en katten geslacht voor Chinees vleesfestival”
8 June 2015, AD
”Duizenden honden en katten geslacht voor Chinees festival”
4 June 2015, Metro
”Honden en katten levend gevild voor enorm eetfestijn”
3 June 2015, NRC
”Dierenleed in China: honden worden massaal geslacht voor zonnefestival”
GERMAN
19 June 2015, RT Deutch
”Das Yulin-Festival 2015 – Hundefleisch und Tollwut”
15 June 2015, Promi Cabana
”Ian Somerhalder: Dramatischer Kampf gegen grausames Hunde-Festival in China”
SWEDISH
26 June 2015, InBeijing (Sweden)
”Bråk då 10.000 hundar slaktas under årlig ”hundköttsfestival””
23 June 2015, Hufvudstadsbladet (Finland)
”Protester mot att hundar blir mat”
23 June 2015, Expressen (Sweden)
”Årliga hundfestivalen hölls trots stora ilskan”
22 June 2015, nyheter24.se (Sweden)
”65-åringen räddade 100 hundar från att bli slaktade och uppätna”
18 June 2015, Hufvudstadsbladet (Finland)
”Vill stoppa hundätar-festival i Kina”
18 June 2015, SVT (Sweden)
”I helgen slaktas 10.000 hundar och äts upp”
16 June 2015, Dagens Nyheter (Sweden)
”10.000 hundar slaktas och äts upp – protester mot kinesisk festival”
3 June 2015, Metro (Sweden)
”Hundar och katter stjäls och slaktas till förbjuden matfestival”
NORWEGIAN
2 June 2015, ABC Nyheter
”Dyrevernere raser mot hundekjøtt-festival i Kina”
FINNISH
24 June 2015, Stara
”Järkyttävät kuvat Kiinan koiranlihafestareilta”
21 June 2015, Helsingin Sanomat
”Kiinalaisnainen osti vapauden sadalle koiralle, jotka olisivat päätyneet ruokafestivaalin annoksiin”
21 June 2015, MTV
”Kiinalaisnainen pelasti sata koiraa ruoaksi joutumiselta”
20 June 2015, MV Lehti
”Vastustus ei auta, koirien syönti ja kidutus alkaa jälleen Kiinassa! (Video)”
20 June 2015, Tiedebasaari
”Kiinan koiriensyöntifestivaali voimissaan lisääntyvästä vastustuksesta huolimatta”
18 June 2015, Nyt
”Koomikko Ricky Gervais raivostui kiinalaisille koiranlihakauppiaille – nimittelee ”ali-ihmisiksi””
17 June 2015, MTV
”Koiranlihafestivaali Kiinassa raivostutti eläinten ystävät: 10 000 koiraa teurastetaan”
ITALIAN
16 June 2015, GeaPress
”Cina, Yulin – Da domenica si mangia cane. Centinaia di gatti e cani sequestrati nelle ultime ore”
12 June 2015, Studio Consulenza Romano
”Yulin festival: al via la petizione contro la macelleria di 10 mila cani”
11 June 2015, A noi la parola
”Animal Equity, la preziosa testimonianza sul crudele commercio di carne di cane e gatto”
11 June 2015, Quotidiano News
”Cina. Dietro il commercio della carne di cane non c'è l'industria ma le gang”
8 June 2015, Altrimondi News
”Festival della carne di cane: fermate questo scempio cinese!”
4 June 2015, RAI News
”#StopYulin2015 la battaglia per fermare il festival cinese dove si mangiano i cani”
l
2 June 2015, Il Messaggero
”In Cina il "Festival della carne di cane". A Yulin è prevista la macellazione di 10.000 animali”
FRENCH
3 June 2015, 30 millions d’amis
”Chine : 2000 chiens tués pour l’ignoble festival de Yulin”
3 June 2015, Tribune de Genève
”Haro sur la viande de chien au menu”
SPANISH
3 June 2015, La Serena Online
”CHINA: El festival de carne de Yulin y la tristeza de sus “Victimas”.- #StopYulin2015”
24 February 2015, Duende Visual
”El festival de la carne de perro de Yulin HT: #StopYulin2015”
PORTUGUESE
14 February 2015, Mural animal
”Chineses perseguem Van que Roubava Cães que seriam comidos em Festival”
CATALAN
4 June 2015, Núvol
”No et menjaràs el gos!”
CHECH
3 June 2015, TN
”Festival hrůzy: Sní se tam tisíce psů a koček. Zrušit ho nechtějí”
CHINESE MEDIA
30 June 2015, People’s Daily
”China’s unregulated canine farms pose threats to both dogs and consumers”
26 June 2015, China Daily
”Pole dancers protest animal cruelty”
17 June 2015, China Daily
”Parents face peer pressure at parent-teacher meetings”
6 June 2015, South China Morning Post
”Pet cemetery: chilling scenes inside China's dog and cat slaughterhouses”
5 June 2015, Metro Hong Kong’s facebook page
4 June 2015, Kwongwah
”Yulin Dog Day approaching 25 million tweets boycott” (translated with Google Translate)
MALAYSIAN MEDIA
2 June 2015, Malaysian Digest
”Over 10,000 Animals Gruesomely Killed In China’s Annual Dog-Eating Festival Happening This Month”
2 June 2015, Sinar
”Festival makan anjing dikecam”
PAKISTANESE MEDIA
3 June 2015, Pakistan TV
”A dog eats dog world no more”
2 June 2015 Pakistan Tribe
”Dog-eating Festival: China Faces International Criticism”
INDIAN MEDIA
3 June 2015, Hindustan Times
”Dog meat on menu: Activists want this Chinese food festival banned”