Sadly it’s that time of year again as of Friday, June 21st. For the suffering animals, I have to share what this festival is all about.
The festival was launched 10 years ago to celebrate the summer solstice, which is longest day and shortest night of the year.
It’s hard to believe that a festival of such cruelty was Yulin, China’s best idea to celebrate the summer solstice. It could’ve been a festival to highlight that stray dogs and cats can be great pets like any other companion animals.
But, no, Yulin decided to go with torturing dogs and cats to death. I deliberately didn’t put any graphic videos in this post.
However, I’ll quickly describe how they kill dogs and cats. First, they blowtorch the dog alive. Once the dog has been singed and dazed with pain, they smash the dogs head with a bat several times. And to finish them off, they cook them alive.
One day someone will have to tell me the difference between the Holocaust and the Yulin Festival. Because they sure seem the same to me.
I have spoken to Kelly O’Meara from the Humane Society International several times over the years. She handles the HSI’s Anti Dog-meat campaigns. Kelly has helped bring close dog-meat farms, saving dogs and cats from the festival and helping educate the Asian culture that street animals can be loving companion animals do.
Two years back Kelly explained to me that most of China doesn’t eat dog-meat. It’s only a small percentage. She went onto to say that the younger generations are more compassionate towards animals and the dog-meat trade will continue it’s decent. Having said that, we also talked about how people were more likely to back off dog-meat if it could harm their health versus being exclusively compassionate towards the animals’s suffering.
Now, truth be told, that’s not new News. Animal Welfare organizations have always known that.
Despite all the progress and educating the masses, there are thousands of dogs and cats that died this week, and will die in the next few days in unspeakable ways.
My head hangs low for them tonight. I will not look the other way. Their lives meant something to the world.
No lives will go in vain. No pain will go unnoticed.
Sincerely, Scott Smith, Patrick’s Father.