On Tuesday, as China’s Yulin city kicked off its controversial 10-day dog meat festival, animal rights activists were busy working to shut down some of the vendors and slaughterhouses that are expected to kill some 10,000 dogs during the event.
While an estimated 10 to 20 million dogs are killed for their meat each year in China, the annual Yulin event has become synonymous with the practice.
Each year, the festival kicks off in the beginning of the summer solstice, because of traditional Chinese beliefs that eating dog meat helps the body cope with the heat.
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