Report Finds Majority of People in China Have Never Eaten Dog Meat – Here’s Why Yulin Needs to End

The slaughter of any animal is a tragedy, but the mass slaughter of man’s best friend at the annual Yulin Dog Meat Festival has hit close to home for dog parents across the world. Largely thanks to social media, the truth of this horrific slaughter has become a widespread public concern.

Protests have proven the public’s disapproval of this cruel practice, but those who profit off the Yulin Dog Meat Festival claim that eating dog meat is a traditional custom in China and should be accepted as part of the Chinese culture, as well as a contributor to the Chinese economy. However, recent studies have shown that dog meat consumption is not as commonplace as some want the world to believe.

According to the 2016 surveys conducted by the Capital Animal Welfare Association (CAWA) and the Horizon Public Opinion Company, 69 percent of residents on mainland China had never eaten dog meat, and of those who had, many were “chance eaters,” meaning they unknowingly or seldom ate dog meat at social gatherings.

Further research conducted this year showed that dog meat consumption is more common in Yulin (with 87 percent of those surveyed claiming to have eaten dog meat), but they concluded that the practice is not a major contributor to the Chinese economy.

Additionally, the researchers pointed out that the dog meat trade violates people’s property rights (as many pet dogs are stolen) and is a threat to public health since the trade violates food safety laws and does not abide by the “one dog/cat, one health certificate” law. Certainly doesn’t seem like a “tradition” that should be continued giving rising concerns…

If you would like to see an end to the Yulin Dog Meat Festival, please take a moment to sign this petition demanding a stop to this cruel and hazardous practice. Please help further gain Support for the cause by sharing this with your network!

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