NEWSWEEK
ON 6/14/23
Nineteen dogs were rescued from horrendous conditions at an illegal slaughterhouse on the outskirts of Yulin, China, just one week before the city's infamous dog meat festival is set to begin.
The activists that saved the animals, who are from the Chinese animal welfare group Vshine, captured shocking images of the slaughterhouse, which supplies dog meat for the festival.
The images show traumatized dogs standing in the blood of their slaughtered cage mates, as well as freshly killed animals. The activists also found a dehairing machine and canine carcasses being blow-torched in preparation for delivery to Yulin's markets.
"This was one of the filthiest and bloodiest dog slaughterhouses we've ever seen," one of the Chinese Vshine activists, identified as Teng, said in a Humane Society International press release. HSI is an official partner with Vshine.
"The dogs had just arrived by truck that morning, and we were devastated to find that we had arrived too late to save five dogs who had already been killed," Teng said. "Those dogs who were still alive looked traumatized by the slaughter they would have just seen, and the smell of blood and flesh was overpowering."
Nineteen dogs were rescued from horrendous conditions at an illegal slaughterhouse on the outskirts of Yulin, China, just one week before the city's infamous dog meat festival is set to begin.
The activists that saved the animals, who are from the Chinese animal welfare group Vshine, captured shocking images of the slaughterhouse, which supplies dog meat for the festival.
The images show traumatized dogs standing in the blood of their slaughtered cage mates, as well as freshly killed animals. The activists also found a dehairing machine and canine carcasses being blow-torched in preparation for delivery to Yulin's markets.
"This was one of the filthiest and bloodiest dog slaughterhouses we've ever seen," one of the Chinese Vshine activists, identified as Teng, said in a Humane Society International press release. HSI is an official partner with Vshine.
"The dogs had just arrived by truck that morning, and we were devastated to find that we had arrived too late to save five dogs who had already been killed," Teng said. "Those dogs who were still alive looked traumatized by the slaughter they would have just seen, and the smell of blood and flesh was overpowering."
Pictured are some of the dogs rescued from a slaughterhouse on the outskirts of Yulin, China, this month. Chinese activists rescued 19 dogs in total from the slaughterhouse.DV_2023
Yulin's Lychee and Dog Meat Festival, which takes place every year around the time of the summer solstice, lasts for 10 days.
During this time, attendees consume delicacies such as dog meat stew and crispy dog meat, as well as cat meat. Thousands of dogs are slaughtered every year for the festival. But the event has faced heavy criticism, both from within China and abroad.
The canines saved from the slaughterhouse were found in poor condition. They were severely dehydrated and malnourished, with filthy, matted fur. One dog that the activists found had lost an eye. In one video that the activists shot, a dead puppy can be seen lying on the floor.
The dogs, most of which were small breeds typical of pets in China, often responded to their rescuers with affection, indicating that they were previously companion animals.
"Most of the dogs greeted us with excitement, pawing the cage bars for attention, while others were really subdued and shaken," Teng said.
Most dogs and cats involved in China's meat trade are pets that have been stolen from their owners or strays that were captured on the streets.
After being captured, the animals are crammed into wire cages and driven hours—or sometimes even days—across China to slaughterhouses, where they are often beaten to death.
"The brutal slaughter of dogs and cats for the Yulin trade is morally indefensible, and the heartbreaking images from this rescue show us why," Peter Li, HSI's China policy specialist, said in a statement.
"These poor animals will have endured terrifying capture and exhausting transport only to end up at a filthy slaughterhouse and subjected to witnessing the brutal killing of other dogs," Li said.
Yulin's Lychee and Dog Meat Festival, which takes place every year around the time of the summer solstice, lasts for 10 days.
During this time, attendees consume delicacies such as dog meat stew and crispy dog meat, as well as cat meat. Thousands of dogs are slaughtered every year for the festival. But the event has faced heavy criticism, both from within China and abroad.
The canines saved from the slaughterhouse were found in poor condition. They were severely dehydrated and malnourished, with filthy, matted fur. One dog that the activists found had lost an eye. In one video that the activists shot, a dead puppy can be seen lying on the floor.
The dogs, most of which were small breeds typical of pets in China, often responded to their rescuers with affection, indicating that they were previously companion animals.
"Most of the dogs greeted us with excitement, pawing the cage bars for attention, while others were really subdued and shaken," Teng said.
Most dogs and cats involved in China's meat trade are pets that have been stolen from their owners or strays that were captured on the streets.
After being captured, the animals are crammed into wire cages and driven hours—or sometimes even days—across China to slaughterhouses, where they are often beaten to death.
"The brutal slaughter of dogs and cats for the Yulin trade is morally indefensible, and the heartbreaking images from this rescue show us why," Peter Li, HSI's China policy specialist, said in a statement.
"These poor animals will have endured terrifying capture and exhausting transport only to end up at a filthy slaughterhouse and subjected to witnessing the brutal killing of other dogs," Li said.
READ MORE
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Yulin Dog Meat Festival 2022: When Is It, Why Is It Held and What Happens?
Pictures From Yulin Dog Meat Festival Show Heartbreaking Cruelty of Event
Three of the rescued dogs are being cared for by a local animal group, while the remaining 16 have been transferred to Vshine's HSI-supported veterinary shelter in North China.
"Now they are all safe and receiving the medical care, food, water and love they so desperately need to recover from their frightening ordeal," Teng said. "They were moments away from being killed for the Yulin markets."
Five of the dogs will be going to the shelter hospital for further vet care for injuries and skin problems, Wendy Higgins, HSI's director of international media, told Newsweek.
"Once they are all quarantined, dewormed, vaccinated, etcetera, they will be assessed for local adoption," she said. "Vshine holds regular adoption events at the shelter, and as the dogs all seem to have been former pets, they feel confident that they will be found loving homes."
The authorities have been informed of the slaughterhouse, but there is likely a "slim chance" of any action being taken in Yulin, Higgins said.
Despite Yulin's reputation, a 2023 survey found that only around 20 percent of residents in the city would oppose a ban on the dog meat trade. The poll also found that 73 percent of Yulin residents consume dog or cat meat only very occasionally, while 18 percent never eat it at all.
A national survey from 2016 showed that across China almost 70 percent of people have never eaten dog meat.
"We are so grateful to the Chinese activists for taking a stand against this hideously cruel trade," Li said. "Most people across China do not support this cruelty, and surveys show that even in Yulin most people are not opposed to a ban. It's time to put an end to this misery."
Yulin Dog Meat Festival 2022: When Is It, Why Is It Held and What Happens?
Pictures From Yulin Dog Meat Festival Show Heartbreaking Cruelty of Event
Three of the rescued dogs are being cared for by a local animal group, while the remaining 16 have been transferred to Vshine's HSI-supported veterinary shelter in North China.
"Now they are all safe and receiving the medical care, food, water and love they so desperately need to recover from their frightening ordeal," Teng said. "They were moments away from being killed for the Yulin markets."
Five of the dogs will be going to the shelter hospital for further vet care for injuries and skin problems, Wendy Higgins, HSI's director of international media, told Newsweek.
"Once they are all quarantined, dewormed, vaccinated, etcetera, they will be assessed for local adoption," she said. "Vshine holds regular adoption events at the shelter, and as the dogs all seem to have been former pets, they feel confident that they will be found loving homes."
The authorities have been informed of the slaughterhouse, but there is likely a "slim chance" of any action being taken in Yulin, Higgins said.
Despite Yulin's reputation, a 2023 survey found that only around 20 percent of residents in the city would oppose a ban on the dog meat trade. The poll also found that 73 percent of Yulin residents consume dog or cat meat only very occasionally, while 18 percent never eat it at all.
A national survey from 2016 showed that across China almost 70 percent of people have never eaten dog meat.
"We are so grateful to the Chinese activists for taking a stand against this hideously cruel trade," Li said. "Most people across China do not support this cruelty, and surveys show that even in Yulin most people are not opposed to a ban. It's time to put an end to this misery."
An activist holds one of the dogs rescued from the slaughterhouse. Thousands of dogs are slaughtered every year for the Yulin Lychee and Dog Meat Festival.DV_2023
The number of people that attend the Yulin festival every year is unclear because there are no official statistics. But over the past few years—even before COVID—the number of people within China traveling to the festival from provinces farther away has significantly dropped, according to Higgins.
In terms of the number of dogs killed every year, it is believed that around 15,000 dogs were slaughtered during the core days of the festival when the event began in 2010.
But amid international pressure, this figure has fallen to the low thousands in recent years, based on estimates from activists on the ground. This year, they predict that between 2,000 and 5,000 dogs will be killed during the event.
The Yulin festival is not a traditional event and was launched by dog meat traders to increase the consumption of their products and boost sales.
It is estimated that around 30 million dogs are killed for their meat annually in Asia, with 10 million to 20 million slaughtered in China alone.
Dog meat is banned in some parts of Asia, such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines, as well as the Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai.
The number of people that attend the Yulin festival every year is unclear because there are no official statistics. But over the past few years—even before COVID—the number of people within China traveling to the festival from provinces farther away has significantly dropped, according to Higgins.
In terms of the number of dogs killed every year, it is believed that around 15,000 dogs were slaughtered during the core days of the festival when the event began in 2010.
But amid international pressure, this figure has fallen to the low thousands in recent years, based on estimates from activists on the ground. This year, they predict that between 2,000 and 5,000 dogs will be killed during the event.
The Yulin festival is not a traditional event and was launched by dog meat traders to increase the consumption of their products and boost sales.
It is estimated that around 30 million dogs are killed for their meat annually in Asia, with 10 million to 20 million slaughtered in China alone.
Dog meat is banned in some parts of Asia, such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines, as well as the Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai.
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