Woohoo! Yippee! This is an incredible story that should be celebrated! Starting June 15, 2017, there is an official prohibition on selling dog meat in China. This includes at restaurants, markets, and street vendors! This ban goes into effect one week before the Yulin dog meat festival. Won’t be much of a festival then, will it?! Persons caught selling dog meat risk a fine of 100,000 yuan ($15,000)!
The ban is an effort to improve the image of Yulin, which is known worldwide for being tolerant of animal cruelty. The new party secretary instituted the ban once in office. Many think the ban is temporary, but it is a step in the right direction – and the more positive press it gets, maybe the longer it will last.
Wendy Higgins, the director of International Media for Humane Society International, says the new party boss wants to change Yulin into a city of culture. In recent years, animal activists have set up roadblocks to stop trucks carrying dogs from entering the festival.
Image Credit: CAPP
The lives of many dogs and cats have been saved with the roadblocks. Many of the dogs that are slaughtered for meat are stolen. They are driven thousands of miles to their death by bludgeoning. In order to boost sales in China, dog meat traders started The Yulin festival about 7 years ago to encourage people in China to eat dog meat.
Higgins stated that the key to this ban will be its enforcement. It is a good thing that the penalty for violating the ban are significant, as it may deter many people from trying to sell dog meat.
Share away, people!