The horrifying Yulin dog meat festival has come and gone.
It's quite disturbing and heartbreaking that the festival still happened under China's strict zero-case policy.
But we have a bit of good news to share. A truck loaded with 386 dogs heading to Yulin from Xian was intercepted on June 18th by brave activists from Xian Small Animal Protection Organization and other activists from nearby cities. And the animals are in good hands now.
Other good news. Based on the feedback from our team in Yulin, we believe this year's festival attendance has dwindled even further from last year.
We believe Duo Duo Project's frequent community outreach programs and modern concepts we brought to Yulin have changed many young people's minds about animals.
Yulin young people's newfound attitudes affected their parents, their parents talked to their friends, and friends talked to friends. That's how change happens.
Because of the lock-down policy, fewer truck drivers wanted to drive long distances into different towns because they can get stuck on the road for weeks. Dog thieves didn't go out as often while the highway patrol is on high alert regarding the transportation of animals.
The dog meat price has gone up quite a bit this year (32 RMB this year vs 28 RMB last year). It means the supply is down and consumption will be less.
We know that one dog slaughtered is one too many. But, the old habit dies hard. We have to be patient and celebrate any small victories as we move forward.
Thank you for your overwhelming support and trust in our mission. Because of you, we have made great strides inside Yulin and China to end the dog and cat meat trade.
But there is still so much work to be done. Please stay in touch and continue your support. We are confident together we will end this barbaric festival and trade once and for all.
We will share more information in the next few days. Stay tuned.