Over 100,000 have signed a Change.org petition started by Lisa Vanderpump, restauranteur and reality TV star, and Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-FL 20), to end the cruel Yulin Dog Meat Festival in China.
Lisa started the petition after her work with the Vanderpump Dog Foundation opened her eyes to the cruelty of the festival. The Yulin Dog Meat Festival, which happens every year on the summer solstice, is a particularly gruesome display of the dog meat trade. This festival, where some 10,000 dogs are slaughtered and served up as meals, is often wrongly assumed to be an ancient Chinese tradition. In fact, the festival only dates back to 2009 when it was launched in the city in China’s southwest to celebrate the summer solstice.
According to the petition, Lisa’s Vanderpump Dog Foundation “is on the ground 365 days a year with our two shelters and almost 500 dogs saved from the Yulin Dog Meat Festival.”
In the petition, Lisa urges for change: “Our efforts transcend cultural differences, party lines, state borders, and political stances. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or a Democrat, this cause must be everyone’s cause. With the might of the American government behind us, we can continue to put pressure on Chinese officials to enact much-needed changes. Many humane courses of action are already available throughout China. With regular monitoring and enforcement, we hope that one day soon will finally see the elimination of the cruel Yulin Dog Meat Festival.”
