What Is China Doing to Our Best Friends?

The Guangxi province in China has a horrifying celebration: The Yulin Festival, where 10,000 dogs are abused and killed every year for their meat. Not only are 500,000 pounds of dog meat consumed during this festival every year, but the dogs are treated with utmost cruelty. Dogs and cats are kidnapped from around China to be brought to the festival. The dogs are kept in small cages, beaten, and even burned and boiled alive for flavor.

Ricky Gervais, a staunch animal rights advocate, has spoken against this festival. Animal rights groups have lambasted the event. The Chinese government has “banned” the festival, but advocates say that this move is just “semantics.” All across the Internet are enraged netizens who are disgusted by the practice of abusing, killing, and eating the dogs.

Thankfully, the Humane Society International has made it easy for us to take a concrete stand against the festival. Its petition to stop the event, which is open to the public, has been putting international pressure on the Chinese government to stop this cruel festival from happening.