Blowing Water | This Dog Lovers’ Day, let’s fight to end barbaric practice of killing canines for food

The late creator of the world-famous comic strip Peanuts, Charles M. Schulz, got it right: “Happiness is a warm puppy.”

Many dog owners will tell you how their pets have changed their lives or made them a better person. It’s true that dogs make us happier, healthier, and help us get along better with each other and ultimately become better human beings.

It may be difficult to say for sure how many dogs there are in the world because many are strays or are not registered. But according to some dog charities and animal welfare groups, the consensus is between 500 and 600 million.

You probably think that’s a lot – and you’re right. But sadly it may not stay that way, because a big percentage of the dog population is being slaughtered across Asia every year. At least 30 million dogs are flayed, poisoned, bludgeoned to death or cooked alive to satisfy a growing appetite for their meat.

Yulin residents defend dog meat festival amid outcry

In mainland China, about one-fifth of the population still eats dog meat, as they hold a superstitious belief that it is a health tonic. Their consumption accounts for about half the annual slaughter in Asia. The dog flesh trade on the mainland has become an international focus and is widely condemned worldwide as a result of the notorious Yulin Dog Meat Festival held annually in June.