PLEASE HELP Stop China's "Yulin Dog Meat Festival" - Cruelty and Torture!

[Wylie's Mom]

{--Click for UPDATE for 2016--}

{{{ This article is from the Huffington Post here (warning, graphic pictures via link) about an event called the "Yulin Dog Meat Festival" that occurs in China on June 21st. It's abhorrently cruel - where 10,000+ dogs are killed - often skinned and boiled alive for human consumption. There are no words for this, as this is beyond barbaric and SICK. PLEASE take a moment to pass this on, post it elsewhere, tweet it, instagram it, sign the petition at the end of the article...please do something. I'm posting it here in the General area so that it gets more attention. This is not a judgment against other cultures, this is a plea to end pointless torture of our fellow beings. Thank you. }}}

Gruesome Yulin Dog Festival Must End! You Have a Voice

The world is full of cruel, barbaric acts and images -- what with ISIS beheading people on video and human traffickers said to sell more people into slavery than in the 19th century. Some of this we can do little about as one single person, despite our hope to the contrary.

Yet, one inhumane tradition happens each summer in southern China that can be stopped -- and must be stopped -- with voices from you and I. It is as simple as 1+1+1 = the tsunamia of social media.

Each June 21, the Yulin Dog Meat Festival takes place in Guangxi province. It is real, despite local government protests to the contrary. In it, the meat from thousands of dogs and cats are consumed.

These nearly 10,000 sentient animals arrive to Yulin in appalling conditions -- often stuffed into cages and dragged on poles -- and the manner in which they're killed, skinned and eaten is horrific, with many clubbed, burned, electrocuted and some skinned alive, according to local activist reports. It is simply torture.

The people of Yulin have celebrated the Summer Solstice with this festival since the 1990s, and use the dog and cat meat to eat with lychees and drink grain alcohol. They do not consider any of the above conditions an issue, not even the way the animals arrive or are killed, cooked and consumed.

Animal rights groups and acivitists for years have been trying to stop the festivities. Yet, despite huge social media protest inside China, it's scheduled to happened again this June.

Just recently, Twitter globally alit with the horrifying images of the event with hopes to shame and put pressure on local authories to stop the festival.

Learn what you can about this event. CNN has done some good reporting on it. Other media outlets have, as well.

Keep up the pressure! Western consumers of Chinese products and Chinese tourism have a good deal of power. Let us use it.

TIME reports it well: TIME.

Sign the petition demanding the festival be stopped here.

Another good petition from Humane Society Int'l, here.

Here's the non-profit -- the Duo Duo Animal Welfare Project - working hard to stop the festival here.

A detailed article on Chinese Animal Activists fighting to stop Yulin from Humane Society International

A Facebook group tirelessly working to stop the event

Frequently asked questions about the festival here.

A firsthand, heart wrenching account from someone who has seen these poor animals in person, here.

[Maximo]

Thank you for bringing this to everyone's attention. As you wrote, there are no words adequate for this. Truly awful.

I will sign and share.

[Nancy1999]

Thank you Ann, this is so disgusting, I hope we can show them that this will hurt their bottom line and it makes me sick so many American manufactures are buying things there. They make a bundle from Americans a dog related products.

[rjwalt]

I understand that different places have different cultural norms but sheesh! I just can't!

[yavenay]

I've signed the petition as well. There are many petitions for this and I've signed them all. I also retweeted and share on all of my social media pages. One day we are going to wake up and find that all of the animals have just disappeared. There only hope is for humanity to cease to exist. When will humans learn that we need animals more than they need us. We should be putting them all on a pedestal for without them, we cannot survive. And I don't mean just for food but animals play an important role in the ecosystem.

Animals have live for millions of years without the existence of human. Humans wouldn't survive one year without animals and the ecosystem and yet here we are trying our best to destroy the ecosystem.

[yavenay]

How do you look at something in pain and not have a reaction to it......that is what is scary. For people to see the pain they are causing and not care.

[Yorkiemom1]

................omg..............

The cruelty of humans never ceases to appall me....and we call ourselves civilized? There are sooooooo many barbaric, brutal, cruel behaviors going on all over the world, some against animals, some against humans......I am afraid it is against all hope to correct such behavior that so many societies do not even consider brutal or cruel, but just a normal way of life for them.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by yavenay

How do you look at something in pain and not have a reaction to it......that is what is scary. For people to see the pain they are causing and not care.

Isn't it mind boggling? It's SO beyond my comprehension. In China, they also skin dogs alive for their fur (I've seen the videos, horrific!)...and I cannot wrap my brain around how *anyone*, anyone at all, could be willing to perform an unconscionable and purposeful act of torture willingly.

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

................omg..............

The cruelty of humans never ceases to appall me....and we call ourselves civilized? There are sooooooo many barbaric, brutal, cruel behaviors going on all over the world, some against animals, some against humans......I am afraid it is against all hope to correct such behavior that so many societies do not even consider brutal or cruel, but just a normal way of life for them.

Totally hear you, it's so beyond anything. So well beyond. To torture a living being is just abhorrent to everything I'm about.

But don't lose hope...or at least try not to...someday in the future there will be change. It will be slow and painful to watch, but things *will* change. Every/any little thing you do toward that effort counts. It truly does. The more we talk about it, face it, be totally honest about it, and try to change it....the more it gets out there into the collective consciousness.

[yavenay]

I think I saw the same video. It haunts me to this day. In all honesty, it is more likely the US is behind the fur trade. Americans will not give up their fur even fake fur. Most people don't know that faux fur is really dog or cat hair. You have to look for the stitches to tell the difference.

Even with this information, so many Americans don't care that animals are being skinned alive for fashion. They will still buy it. I no longer buy anything that is made from animals that I know of or I try my very best not too like with shoes. I'm not sure who is sicker. Every time I pick up an item now the first question I asked is "were there any animals harmed in the making of this garment?'.

I am even beginning to question my lifestyle as a meat eater and have been eating less meat. I now eat beef and chicken only a few times a week now. I eat mostly fish but now even the fish are beginning to disappear. Maybe it is time for a reset. This is going to end very badly.

[Magnus]

I'm sorry but I didn't read the post... If I do, I won't be able to sleep for a while. However, I share your passion regarding these type of issues. Signed the petition and donated right away.

I'm truly thankful to all those that work hard to save these poor animals.... And I hope whatever support we offer can aid them in any way possible.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by yavenay

I think I saw the same video. It haunts me to this day. In all honesty, it is more likely the US is behind the fur trade. Americans will not give up their fur even fake fur. Most people don't know that faux fur is really dog or cat hair. You have to look for the stitches to tell the difference.

Even with this information, so many Americans don't care that animals are being skinned alive for fashion. They will still buy it. I no longer buy anything that is made from animals that I know of or I try my very best not too like with shoes. I'm not sure who is sicker. Every time I pick up an item now the first question I asked is "were there any animals harmed in the making of this garment?'.

I am even beginning to question my lifestyle as a meat eater and have been eating less meat. I now eat beef and chicken only a few times a week now. I eat mostly fish but now even the fish are beginning to disappear. Maybe it is time for a reset. This is going to end very badly.

I think, yes, we may have seen the same dog fur video; I've seen a lot of undercover animal cruelty footage in my life - but that particular video, by FAR, is the worst thing I've ever, ever seen. And while it was/is probably important for me to see it, the memory of it haunts me often and it just kills me to know this happens in our world. I can't imagine what that dog in that video experienced, my God, it's insane to consider.

Yes, many people don't realize that "faux fur" here in the US just may be dog fur - you have to really know your textures and textiles to make sure it's truly faux.

The thing that makes me especially crazy about fur is that it's just *so* easy to give up, ya know? SO EASY. So why people still buy it, it boggles my mind.

As far as what you mention about eating meat...I haven't eaten meat in 20+ years now, and it's honestly not much of a loss. It was pretty easy to give up. I still eat seafood occasionally, but even that bothers me and I really do wish I'd just give it up for good...maybe some day. I'm not weird about the meat thing though, I never push it on others and I'll still cook meat for others if they want it - as it's really their choice and I respect it. Btw, you're still doing a good thing by just eating less meat or whatever - this contributes less and less to the big Ag/slaughterhouse industry and that's always good. Another option is to buy free range / cruelty free meat.

Originally Posted by Magnus

I'm sorry but I didn't read the post... If I do, I won't be able to sleep for a while. However, I share your passion regarding these type of issues. Signed the petition and donated right away.

I'm truly thankful to all those that work hard to save these poor animals.... And I hope whatever support we offer can aid them in any way possible.

Totally understand on not being able to read the post - I'm the same way on many days...sometimes, I just cannot take it into my head/heart. This one was super tough for me to hear about given it's particular abhorrent cruelty...and I hate knowing that it happens. But I suppose the only way to stop it is to know about it, sigh...so sad to know these things. Thanks for signing the petition and donating !

[Buster Brown]

I signed. I could not read the article as I watched the video from years ago skinning live dogs for their fur and was haunted by the images. Thank you for making us aware and advocating for these innocent beings.

[Wylie's Mom]

Bumping....only 4 more days to try to make a difference for these innocent dogs...

[Harrysmum]

Signed, Ann....but sorry I, too, couldn't read it. Just seeing those dogs terrified faces on the petition page...

[maxdog]

I signed it also. Realistically, we are not going to stop it. My heart weeps for those poor animals.