Dog's timid gesture outside China meat store saves it from slaughter
A dog’s timid gesture to an animal lover passing by has saved it from being slaughtered for meat.
In a video recently shared to the Chinese version of TikTok, Douyin, the dog is seen timidly lifting up its front paw to the passerby, who takes its paw and shakes it.
The viral video was shared in hopes of encouraging legislation to prevent the slaughtering of dogs in China.
“If you don’t love please don’t hurt the appeal: prohibit cruelty to animals, enact legislation as soon as possible!” the translated caption of the video says.
“How scared it was when it was waiting to be slaughtered in the dog meat hall, it looked forward to the look of people...”
According to the MailOnline, the video was taken over a year ago in Jilin Province, in China’s northeast.
According to the Mail, the passerby rescued the dog which was outside a slaughterhouse and now the dog has been named Yuan Yuan.
According to the Humane Society, China is believed to be responsible for killing 10 million dogs for human consumption every year.
However, only about 20 per cent of the Chinese population eats dog meat, 65 per cent have never tried it.
“The dog meat trade in China is, to a significant degree, facilitated by crime, as most of the animals are stolen pets and strays grabbed from the backyards and streets,” the Humane Society says.
“Detection and convictions are extremely rare.”
While dogs are stolen and transported from all over China, dog meat eating is mainly in three regions – south, central and northeast China.
The Human Society International works across Asia to end cruelty towards dogs, in places like China, South Korea, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Earlier this year, dozens of dogs bound for the infamous Yulin dog meat festival were rescued by volunteers at a Beijing dog shelter.
Dog meat is traditionally believed to be good for the health in certain parts of China, but the habit has been in steady decline as more and more affluent urban dwellers choose to keep the animals as pets.
According to AFP, the Covid-19 pandemic reduced the appetite for dog meat, with the virus believed to have originated from a wet market in Wuhan, China.
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