China's Yulin Festival Might Not Have Dog Meat On The Menu This Year, Thanks To Activists

Every year, in the 10-day Yulin festival held in China, dogs are caged, beaten to death on the streets, and served as 'dog soup'. But, hopefully, this year's festival won't witness any of this brutality.

Reuters

According to Humane Society International, animal activist have pushed the Yulin government to prohibit the festival vendors and traders from selling dog meat.

Reports state, that the ban will come into effect on June 15 - a week before the festival begins. Those who don¡¯t obey will be facing a fine of up to 100,000 yuan (nearly $15,000) and arrest.

BREAKING: Dog meat sales at China's Yulin festival likely banned for 2017. https://t.co/NoR9e49IGY #OnTheBlog via @waynepacelle pic.twitter.com/Oghjj70d5G

¡ª Humane Society (@HumaneSociety) 17 May 2017

The move was brought about by Yulin¡¯s new Chinese Communist Party Secretary Mo Gong Ming, in an effort to eradicate the gruesome tradition. Last year, a petition to abolish the festival garnered 11 million signatures.

AFP

¡°Even if this is a temporary ban, we hope this will have a domino effect, leading to the collapse of the dog meat trade,¡± Andrea Gung, executive director of the anti-dog and cat meat campaign group Duo Duo Project, was quoted as saying.

¡°This ban is consistent with my experience that Yulin and the rest of the country is changing for the better.¡± she added

Big Big news: All dog meat vendors banned from selling dog meat at Yulin summer solstice festival - AKA Yulin Dog Meat Festival 6/15 - 6/21

¡ª Duo Duo Project (@DDAWP) 17 May 2017

However, the report has not been confirmed by the local government or official state media. According to reports, local vendors are completely oblivious to this ban and are hoping to celebrate gruesome festival with full fervour.

However, animal rights activists are steadfast on banning the festival for good.

In a statement Peter Li, China Policy specialist at Humane Society International,, said , "Millions of dogs and cats are stolen each year, including pets, and driven thousands of miles across China to be bludgeoned to death...the Yulin dog meat festival is not over just yet, but if this news is true as we hope, it is a really big nail in the coffin for a gruesome event."

We can only hope and pray that this brutal festival comes to an end forever.