386 dogs rescued from truck heading to China dog meat festival

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On Sunday, nearly 400 dogs were rescued from slaughter after the truck traveling to the annual Yulin Dog Meat Festival was intercepted by the Chinese police. With the help of Chinese activists, they stopped the truck about 500 miles from the southern Chinese city of Yulin. When the truck was pulled over, footage from the film captured by the Chinese activists from CAPP showed 386 dogs crammed into small wire cages in poor conditions. The animal rights activists were worried that some dogs might be suffering from infectious diseases, so they decided to report the truck to the local authorities citing the nation’s laws on epidemic prevention. The dog meat festival was scheduled to begin on Tuesday, the day of the summer solstice. This was an annual festival that was held in the southern Chinese city of Yulin. Read on to learn more about the 386 dogs rescued from trucks heading to the China dog meat festival.

Overview

Upon intercepting the truck, the activists found a mixture of dog breeds, with most of them in poor health conditions and suffering from skin diseases and infections. Based on a report by the Chinese police, there were 386 dogs in the truck that were being taken to the Yulin Lychee, and Dog Meat Festival was set to start on Tuesday. During this notorious annual festival, nearly thousands of dogs are slaughtered in the southern city of Yulin in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. This event is held for about ten days on the day of the summer solstice. Nearly a hundred thousands of people make their way to Yulin city for the dog meat festival to consume various dishes such as crispy dog meat and dog meat stew. Most of these dog meat dishes are served at the restaurants and market stalls of the city.

According to Independent.co.uk, the 2022 Yulin Dog Meat Festival was set to commence on June 21 in the southern Chinese city of Yulin, a day that coincides with the summer solstice. This festival also referred to as the Lychee and Dog Meat Festival, was launched in 2010 by dog meat vendors in an attempt to increase the sale of their products. Despite the strong opposition to the annual festival from the Chinese animal rights activists, thousands of people flock to the city to eat crispy dog meat and dog meat stew. Lin Xiong, one of the Chinese activists at the scene when the lorry was intercepted, said it was terrifying to see so many dogs locked in small cages and in poor health conditions. It was also reported that the dog seemed to have been locked in the truck for days, starving and dehydrated. Many of these dogs had visible signs of disease and injury; some also had pet collars on, raising suspicions that they may have been stolen from their owners.

Dog Rescue

The Chinese law enforcers worked closely with animal activists to intercept a truck that was carrying 386 dogs in poorly-conditioned cages to the China dog meat festival. The truck had a Yulin license plate and was spotted on the highway about 500 miles from the southern Chinese city. The photos and video taken by the Chinese activists at the scene clearly show the moment the Chinese police intercepted the truck on the road. It was really a horrifying scene, especially after seeing so many distressed dogs locked in small wire cages and exposed to the scorching heat. The footage of this scene was sent to the global animal protection group – Humane Society International.

According to Natureworldnews, the truck was filled with a mixture of dog breeds, and many appeared to be in a poor physical condition with some having skin disease and infected eyes. Approximately 400 dogs in the truck were moved to a police quarantine facility for twenty-one days, where they will receive immediate veterinary care and recover. One of the activists at the scene said they could see the dogs’ scared faces peering out from the small cages. Although the dogs are now safe in police quarantine, where they will receive the needed veterinary care, the CAPP member urged the local authorities in China to devise zero-tolerance measures for these dog traffickers and thieves. They believe dog meat slaughter brings shame to the country, and so they will continue fighting this practice until it is completely banned in the country.

Dog meat in China

A very small percentage of the Chinese population continues to eat dog meat. In the southern Chinese city of Yuhin, approximately 70 % of the citizens do not consume dog meat. In 2020, the Chinese government announced that dogs are not livestock but are companion animals. Major cities such as Zhuhai and Shenzhen have entirely banned the sale of dog meat. According to Mirror.co.uk, it is estimated that about thirty million dogs are slaughtered for meat every year in parts of Asia. In the United States, more than 1.5 billion animals are slaughtered on factory farms. Local authorities in the city of Shaanxi, together with the animal rights activists, are working together to end the horrific Lychee and Dog Meat Festival.

Happy Ending

After the horrific photos and videos of this event were sent to the global animal protection group, various measures have been taken to stop dog trafficking and selling dog meat in the Southern Chinese city. The CAPP activists praised the Shaanxi local authorities for their quick response in intercepting the truck making its way to the Chinese dog meat festival in Yulin. They also urged all police forces to initiate a zero-tolerance approach to dog trafficking and selling dog meat. After the incident, China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs also released an official statement that said dogs are companion animals and should be eaten as livestock. Peter Li, China policy specialist for HSI, said that despite the fact that most of the Chinese population does not eat dog meat, there are many dog-eating hotspots in the southern part of the country where millions of dogs continue to be slaughtered. He praised the Chinese activists for standing up for these helpless animals. The dogs are now in an animal shelter supported by HSI and partner group Vshine, where they are well taken care of.

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