Plush Bears Shelter

If you have been following us on social media you will be aware that we attended this years Yulin dog meat festival to expose the attrocities and save some precious lives.

 

On June 21st the notorious, annual ‘ festival’ commenced once again, despite worldwide condemnation.

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It is certainly a gruesome excuse for an event that causes horrendous suffering and defies public health. We all know the potentially, disastrous, ticking time bomb effects of zoonotic diseases, that originate from this type of animal market.

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On May 29th in 2020 people breathed a sign of relief as it was announced that the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture would no longer classify dogs as livestock, but they have continued to be treated as such without any real change.

 

The main Yulin celebration is on the longest day of the year, (in the northern hemisphere) called the summer solstice. It’s a dichotomy that on the lightest day of the year, when our resplendent sun will follow its highest path in the sky, exists a place that celebrates natural beauty by slaughtering man’s best friend. It may be light outside but only darkness falls on dogs in Yulin.

 

After the solstice, the celebration continues throughout the week, but to a lesser extent. Much like any festivity, there is always a main day and subsequent celebrations that overflow and are ongoing throughout the week.

Each year we are told that the festival is fading out… but we observed the main indoor dog meat market area was very busy with long queues outside. The stalls were piled with dead dog carcasses and there was a nauseating stench in the air.

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The dog meat vendors were given the instruction to stop publicly slaughtering dogs in the main market , one full week before the festival began.

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It’s appears they desperately want to detract media attention and keep the truth under wraps.

This event continues to defy public health and safety laws, and inflict incomprehensible cruelty, all for a meat that most people in China do not consume.

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There was certainly a police presence, they were commonly seen standing in front of restaurants and throughout the main indoor market.

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However their only objective was to thwart people from taking any videos or photos. Anyone caught doing so by the police would have their device confiscated and all the footage swiftly deleted. Which begs the question... Why do the police turn a blind eye?

 

Just a 10 minute drive from the main area, dog meat vendors were seen slaughtering dogs in the back streets. Live dogs crammed into tiny wire cages, tormented by the sounds of other dogs being killed just meters away. Dogs are slaughtered by various methods but more commonly at Yulin, they are boiled alive, blow torched or bludgeoned to death.

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Usually dogs arrive on big trucks after being illegally transported over vast distances across China, without having the necessary documentation in place to do so. The dogs are often stolen pets or strays snatched off the streets and the trade continues to be fuelled by crime..

 

Our founder Liang also gained access to a local dog farm that was a 30 minute drive away from the city. It was highly distressing to go there and find 600 dogs contained within the facility.The females were the breeding machines and the males were designated to become dog meat.

The dogs seemed to be under 6 months old, lots of wagging tails and intrigue We wanted to film this place in order to expose it but couldn’t go without saving any, although it was very upsetting to have to leave the others behind.

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We are only a small organisation and team with limited recourses, this trip to Yulin was not to do a large scale rescue due to the exponential post rescue vet bills and aftercare. We also don’t have infinite space at our facility and have to be mindful. However feel it’s imperative to keep raising awareness and are not ok with simply documenting their plight without making any rescue efforts.

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Unless you have been in that position it’s impossible to know how it feels, the sounds and sights bare heavy on the soul and it's impossible to turn away.

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We would like people to understand that Yulin is really 365 days per year.

It is estimated that 25000 dogs are slaughtered In China each day to meet the demand of the minority that eat it. China has such an enormous population that the small percentile of people consuming dog meat still equates to a hefty number of dogs being killed for meat.

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Although we recognise that the preponderance of people in China do not consume dog meat and would like to see the trade come to an end.

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The first step in change is awareness and we will continue to be voices for the innocent dogs and cats that suffer such abominable cruelty due to this barbaric trade.

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We rescued a total of 20 dogs and 3 cats from Yulin this year. We look forward to documenting their recovery journeys and giving them the chance they so desperately deserve.

 

 

Thank you to everyone who has supported this rescue mission, we deeply appreciate every gift, share, like and kind word. We really are beholden to you all.

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