These Buddhist monks have rescued a string of poor pooches destined for the dinner plate at Chinese dog meat festival where 15,000 canines are expected to be skinned and eaten this year.
According to reports, the annual 10-day Lychee and Dog Meat Festival takes place in the city of Yulin in the south-eastern Chinese province of Guangxi and around 10,000 to 15,000 canines are expected to be consumed by over 150,000 attendees.
Buddhist follower Liang Yedong has visited the festival for the last four years with several monks to save as many dogs as they can while blessing the poor animals they are unable to save.
Reports said that they are the only activists to take action against the festival this year.
Yedong commented on social media: “Today is a day of sorrow, the Yulin Dog Meat Festival.
“I am grieving because living beings are suffering. After four years of rescuing animals from Yulin butchers, I still cry every time. We are equal, please don’t take these lives.”
According to reports, Yedong and 11 other activists spent 500,000 RMB (57,500 GBP) to buy dogs at the Yulin festival in 2015.
He has returned every year since to save as many animals as he can even though very few animal organisations take similar action.
Keith Guo, press officer of PETA Asia for China, told Asia Wire (AWR): “It’s true, fewer people are willing to go Yulin to take action because it simply doesn’t work. The budget to rescue dogs is huge but it’s not nearly enough to help rescued dogs find homes.
“The rescued dogs often have to struggle for life in overcrowded shelters or end up dying of starvation or infection.
“PETA hopes that people will soon adopt a healthy vegan diet which can easily save hundreds of lives each year.”
Zhu Shuiling, president of the Zhejiang Small Animal Protection Association, told AWR: “Boycotting the dog meat festival in China is dependent on government power otherwise people just go there and end up quarrelling with locals.
“We need to persuade the government that dog meat is a threat to public health.”
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Buli Liang, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
The Ananova page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.
Thank god for people like you. GDP bless you You will be rewarded for this. This needs to stop now its so sick. It reflects so bad on these people. Shame on them