China May Be Banning Dog Meat From Controversial Yulin Festival

Animal-rights activists in the Chinese province of Guangxi are currently celebrating what could be a major victory in their fight against the notorious Yulin Festival where thousands of dogs and cats are killed each year and consumed.

This year, according to BBC, the Communist Party Secretary of Yulin, Mo Gong Ming, is being credited with a new ban that prevents any dog meat from being sold in the days leading up to and during the actual festival. The Independent reports that those who do could be find as much as 100,000 yuan, or about $14,500 US Dollars.

While not everyone in Yulin has heard of or is on board with the ban yet, California-based campaign group DuoDuo and Humane Society International both have heard from “several reliable sources” that this ban is happening and will affect retailers, dog meat market traders, and restaurants. So far, only some retailers and restaurants have been notified of the ban, which has not yet been announced officially.

While the dog meat ban would help slightly improve Yulin’s public image, it is only a temporary ban that does not protect dogs from being killed before it is imposed. It also doesn’t protect cats from being killed or sold as meat. The public killing of dogs was already banned last year according to BBC, so that is already something that won’t be happening at the festival.

Still, if the ban is officially announced and adhered to, it would be a huge step forward in reducing the animal cruelty that happens throughout Yulin and China as a result of this horrendous festival.