China: The Dog Meat Festival, famous as Yulin Dog Festival, kicked off in southern China this week amid a fevered pitch of demands from the international community for the city to halt the controversial event.
As the annual festival sparks unprecedented backlash, here’s what you need to know beyond the howling protests.
5 Things You Need To Know About It:
1. An estimated 10 million to 20 million dogs are killed for their meat each year in China.
2. Vendors slaughter dogs and cook their meat in dozens of restaurants across the city, despite outrage over the cruelty and potential for spreading disease associated.
3. “We hold special meetings every time before the so-called festival, discussing counter measures such as deploying local police, business and sanitary authorities to inspect and deal with those who sell dogs,”China officials said.
4. Promoters say eating dog meat during the summer helps ward off the heat and maintain a healthy metabolism.
5. Dogs are stuffed in cages and trucked to the city about 2,000km south of Beijing in the province of Guangxi, often without food or water. Cats eaten at the festival are subjected to similar ill treatment.
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