A day ahead of the annual Yulin dog meat festival in western China, dog sellers and dog meat buyers were on the streets of the city as usual, despite efforts by volunteers to stop the trade.
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Thousands of dogs could be slaughtered for their meat at the Lychee and Dog Meat Festival in Yulin on Tuesday, as local people celebrate the summer solstice.
Chen Chun, a volunteer and animal lover from neighbouring Guangdong province said he and his friends had convinced three farmers to give up selling their dogs in the market.
“We talked to many local people and we found it really difficult to convince them to stop eating dog meat,” said Chun.
Local government has pledged to shut down the dog meat festival and animal rights groups have urged the Yulin government to do more to stop dog killings.
Activists say the killing of dogs is cruel.
“We animal lovers strongly oppose eating dog meat,” Chun said. “Dogs are a close and loyal friend for all of us.”
An online poll by a Chinese animal rights group showed 64 per cent of Chinese people supported the ending of the festival, while over half of respondents believed dog meat trade should be banned.
Police were seen guarding the entrance to the dog meat market on Monday, but they did not prevent any purchases from the market.
Slaughtered dogs could also be seen in restaurants on Yulin’s most popular street, the home to dozens of dog meat restaurants.
“What saddens me the most is that some young people still eat dog meat and they believe it is part of their tradition,” Chun said. “This is so pathetic.”
The tradition of eating dog meat dates back four or five hundred years in China, South Korea and other countries, as it is believed to ward off the heat of the summer months, Chinese state media Xinhua said.
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