Animal lovers, local traditionalists face off at dog meat festival

A dog for sale lies in a cage in Yulin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on June 21, locally known as "Dog Meat Day." Photo: Li Hao/GT

Thousands of food lovers crowded the streets of Yulin, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, chatting, laughing and sweating while enjoying a feast of dog meat hotpot with lychee wine.

Inside a nearby market, an acrid smell filled the air. Thousands of dogs were packed into crowded cages, barking and whining behind high chain-link fences. The butcher grabbed a dog by the neck and hauled it out of the cage, bashed its head in with a stick, pulled out a knife, skinned it, boiled it and chopped it up ready to be served.

Despite widespread outrage among animal lovers, this annual dog meat festival kicked off on June 21. It is considered a local way to mark the summer solstice and legends say eating dog meat on that day will keep evil spirits and disease at bay.

It is estimated that over 10,000 dogs were killed during the one-day event. Animal rights activists said the dogs are often strays or stolen from their owners in the countryside and might carry diseases that can be passed on to human beings. However, local officials say all the dogs are bred on farms. 

The ancient practice of eating dog has become increasingly distasteful for China's growing number of pet lovers and this year's dog meat festival has come in for particularly virulent criticism.

Yulin faces choice

The name of Yulin, a southern city home to 6 million people, is now linked with its controversial dog eating.

This summer solstice tradition by local residents began in the late 1990s when the trend of eating dog meat spread from the countryside to the city. As more and more dog meat restaurants opened, residents would invite their friends to go out and enjoy dog hotpot served with lychees and strong liquor.

"You can smell Yulin before entering the city," a local resident named Ma told the Global Times. She left her hometown a decade ago and still thinks fondly of it.

"I miss those summers when my family got together and enjoyed the dog meat and lychees," Ma said. "I don't understand why we can eat other animals without a fuss but not dogs."

At first, the dogs were all raised locally but as business expanded and demand grew, butchers brought in dogs from across China. Animal lovers say many dogs were abducted from their rightful owners in the countryside, kept in inhumane conditions and then transported to the festival.

A few years ago, dogs were butchered in public to show that the meat was fresh and answer other concerns about whether the meat had been stored in refrigerators.

Since 2010, the local tradition has caught attention from animal lovers and animal rights organizations. In an open letter to the mayor of Yulin, Hong Kong-based NGO Animals Asia said the overcrowded trucks used to transport the dogs increased the risk of disease spreading.

""We have written to the local authorities to lodge our complaints and to outline the cruelty involved and the dangers of eating dog meat," said Suki Deng, Animals Asia China's cat and dog welfare manager. "Each year opposition to the event grows and the publicity surrounding the event becomes less favorable."

Another 20 animal protection organizations also wrote an open letter to the Yulin government calling for the cancelation of the festival.

"It is not just an issue for Yulin, it is important for the safety of dogs all over the country," it said. "We hope the local government can crack down on underground dog theft and reduce the consumption of dog meat."

Yulin authorities earlier stated the matter was out of their hands as the festival is organized by local people, not the government.

Dissent grows

More and more animal rights activists have been converging on Yulin to protest in front of dog-eaters.

Last year, artist Pian Shankong knelt down in front of a pile of dead dogs in Yulin to beg for forgiveness of the sins of those who killed them.

This year, led by Du Yufeng, founder of Chinese animal rights group Boai Small Animal Protection Center, several volunteers protested outside Yulin's most famous dog meat market, carrying a banner saying "Stop the cruelty, do not eat dogs and cats."