It's A Miracle! China Cancels 600 Year Old Dog-Meat Festival

It's an absolute miracle what just happened in China. Thanks to complaints from thousands of animal rights advocates who organized through a micro blog, China's 600 year old annual tradition of slaughtering 5,000 to 10,000 dogs for its festival feast has been canceled by the Chinese government.  Seems animal advocates are finally making progress in their protests to prevent man's best friend from being heartlessly butchered and devoured on the streets of Jinhua City.

The Jinhua Hutou Dog Meat Festival, as it is called, was abruptly canceled last week after local officials were shamed by an online campaign begun by animal rights advocates. Gruesome photographs taken at past festivals that show canine carcasses, some bloody and others cooked, circulated on Chinese microblogs, creating popular pressure against the festival, which was set for October.  - Dog Meat Festival is Canceled in China - NYTimes.com

Here's a little background on how the brutal dog eating tradition in China began centuries ago.  Dog eating began during the Yuan Dynasty that ordered the dogs slaughtered because their barking had warned rebels in the city of their army's approach.  The dog meat was served to the soldiers and has been a tradition for centuries in China ever since.

I won't post the horrid details of this brutal practice, it's far too disturbing for dog lovers to bare. All I know is that I was personally horrified when a Chinese taxi driver once told me his tale of how he had a cute puppy dog his father later served for dinner after the dog turned one year of age.

"Dog meat is best at one year of age, it's the most tender" the driver said. The driver added his father wanted to teach him how not to become emotionally attached to pets, "I was very sad because I remember the dog licking my face and how happy I was", he said.  

I thought to myself, how evil to do that to a precious loving pet!  What brutal monsters!

This dog eating practice has clearly been very bad for the Chinese culture's image around the world.  The practice makes many despise the Chinese culture, especially when the masses have access to all the horrific photos of dogs butchered on the Internet.

In America we love our dogs with all of our hearts and many are our best companions. They provide unconditional love and are not just a piece of meat to devour.  Thankfully, China's currently going through an animal liberation movement due to the many younger Chinese who were raised with dogs and cats as pets.  Let's hope this moratorium on dog feasting lasts in spite of the cancellation that came so spontaneously after the public outcry:

"Microblog posts criticizing this year’s Jinhua festival first appeared early this month. The blogger from Guangdong wrote on Sept. 6: 'There are thousands of dog eaters gathering there. People slaughter dogs mercilessly, the blood of the dead dogs flows like a river, the horrible screams of dogs pierce the sky.'

The outcry quickly gathered momentum. Last week, a few Chinese newspapers wrote editorials. The campaign caught on with celebrities who have millions of microblog followers. The Wucheng district authorities said on Weibo on Sept. 19 that they were canceling the fair. The next morning, they explained the decision was “in full respect of the public’s opinion.” Dog Meat Festival is Canceled in China - NYTimes.com

Ever since I got gravely ill from undercooked chicken breasts, I've been gradually phasing meat out of my diet, not an easy feat.  I've always been a chicken lover and it's always been comfort food to me.  I imagine Chinese people raised on dog meat have a similar issue as I do.  In that case, I'm willing to give up chicken for good if the Chinese people can give up their love of dog meat.  I'm serious, I'm going to do it, never eat another chicken again as long as I live.

I'd rather starve to death then eat my pet dog or any dog for that matter!  Seriously, you've just got to have a heart.  If I were starving to the bone and someone offered me dog meat to survive, I'd lay down my life right then and there.  Dogs have saved humans lives, so who are the real animals without a conscience?  Let's hope the Chinese stop this horrifying despicable practice of brutalizing these loving precious human companions.