Spread the word: celebrities speak out against yulin days before the festival begins

June 21st is the long-lit day of the summer solstice in America’s northern hemisphere. But on the other side of the world in China, it marks a dark, barbaric tradition that’s been practiced since 2010.

This year’s annual Yulin Dog Meat Festival–or rather, the mass torture and slaughter of thousands of dogs–begins tomorrow. Many of their victims are stray and stolen dogs. That’s right: they’re eating people’s pets.

But that doesn’t mean it’ll happen without a fight.

As the sick realities of this twisted “festival” have become known worldwide, devastated and infuriated animal advocates, from rescue groups, to celebrities, to dog lovers like you, are providing a voice to the voiceless victims of this torturous tradition.

“This is built upon the belief that if you torture or abuse the animal, it makes the meat taste better or that it gives health benefit to who eats it. Whether or not you think it is something to be eaten or on the menu, cruelty and torture and violence is wrong,” says Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation founder Marc Ching in the video.

Although the consumption of dog meat seems to be most commonly connected with the Yulin festival in China, the trade is active year-round, across the continent.

“Some 30 million dogs are killed across Asia every year for their meat, with more than a third of that number in China, campaigners say,” reports The Washington Post.

Know that there is hope.

There are groups and individuals, working tirelessly to end the suffering. Right now, Ching and his team are in China, exhaustively working to save as many animals as they can before the “festivities” begin, according to People. Humane Society International rescued 29 dogs and 5 cats from a slaughterhouse last week. And on June 10th, Chinese and international animal rights campaigners presented a plea of 11 million signatures to end the festival. It’s important to know the realities of the dog meat trade, but it’s also important to hear about successful rescue stories.

Want to help? Here’s what you can do:

–Share this video. It’s hard to watch, but if we turn a blind eye, this torturous practice will just keep happening

–Sign this petition to stop Yulin

–Donate to groups who save animals from the dog meat trade, like Humane Society International and Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation

–Rescue a dog from the dog meat trade. The Soi Dog Foundation specializes in adoptions of dogs saved from meat farms. Also, keep up on stories of dogs rescued from meat farms–often they are brought to different rescues in the US and Canada, where they can be adopted.

–Use your voice while benefitting rescue efforts. With the purchase of any of our anti-Yulin products, you’ll provide food and care for shelter dogs or those rescued from the meat trade.

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