Positive News From Yulin!
Two infamous Yulin dog meat markets (DongKou and NanQiao) have recently been renovated, and dog meat vendors have been forced to relocate out of the centrally located city markets.
Also, almost overnight, dog meat restaurants along the city’s main streets began removing the words “dog meat” from their signs.
These changes in Yulin are impossible to ignore after years of watching the dog meat trade operate openly in that city.
Are they the beginning of something bigger or simply a temporary retreat? We don't know yet. However, we applaud every effort to restrict the dog and cat meat trade. Even a small step forward is better than a step backward. Seeing dog meat signage disappear from Yulin’s main streets, and vendors being relocated, is genuinely encouraging.
As we have said though, even strict enforcement cannot guarantee lasting change if the demand remains. A determined consumer who wants dog meat may be willing to make more of an effort to seek it out.
That is why changing hearts and minds is ultimately more powerful than changing signs.
When fewer people want to eat dogs and cats, the market has nowhere to go. Education and community outreach can address the demand that allows this trade to survive in the first place.
Thanks to our generous supporters, we've built a strong team in Yulin. For 13 years, Duo Duo Project has kept boots on the ground, working year-round to build a more compassionate future.
Our team in Yulin will be watching closely. Because if these changes represent the beginning of a larger transformation, Yulin could be giving us a glimpse of what happens when a century-old tradition finally loses its place in society.
Thank you for being part of the movement.
With gratitude,
P.S: Please read our latest update from Yulin and discover why we are more hopeful than ever that the end of the dog meat trade may be within reach.