A dog who was rescued from the Yulin Meat Festival has made a spectacular recovery and now looks happy and healthy.
The festival, also known as the Lychee and Dog Meat Festival, is an annual event held during the summer solstice in China, when attendees gather to eat dog meat.
The government of Yulin removed the event’s official backing in 2014, but it still takes place.
For the festival, thousands of dogs are slaughtered. They can be stolen from families or taken from the streets before being crammed alongside other dogs into tiny cages with no food or water. They are then taken to a dog meat trader.
Many activists are making moves to stop the campaign, but its unofficial status and recognition as part of the culture of those in Yulin makes it difficult to stop.
Last year, there were reports the sale of dog meat had been banned from the festival, but according to the Independent this proved to be incorrect.
Thankfully, some dogs are rescued from the horrific event; one of which was Nivia, an innocent pup who was destined to be killed at a slaughterhouse during the dog meat festival in 2016.
Vshine, a partner group of Humane Society International (HSI), rescued Nivia and other dogs crammed alongside her in a wire cage.
They took the animals to Canada, and transferred them to the HSI’s Shelter and Rescue Partners for rehabilitation and the chance to find their forever homes.
Nivia was understandably scarred from her tragic past, and after she was adopted, it took three months for Nivia’s new owner, Catherine, to be able to touch the frightened pup.
Still, Catherine was patient and caring, and was able to show Nivia that she wasn’t a threat. The resilient dog is now thriving in her new home, enjoying an abundance of activities like going on long walks, receiving warm hugs, squeaking toys, taking naps and going on adventurous car rides.
The HSI wants to help all dogs be as happy as Nivia, and that’s why they’re committed to ending the brutality to all dogs suffering from the dog meat trade by fighting in areas of Asia, where the trade is still thriving, until it comes to an end.
You can sign the HSI’s petition, urging the Prime Minister of China to ban the dog and cat meat trade, here.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.