NEWS FROM THE FRONT: ANDREA GUNG (Executive Director and Founder of DDAWP) REPORTS: Been in YuLin for two days. My observations: 1) The local officials are having a tremendous pressure because: --- dog character is covered as we mentioned before on ALL the restaurant signs. I also noticed some of the bigger restaurants even had their sign redone (can be costly) so it means the ban on the dog meat from the restaurant sign is permanent. --- visited the main local meat market, only saw three stalls were selling dog meat (photo 1). I was told that in last year, there were about 20 of them. --- one of my team members and some other activists went to check out two illegal slaughter houses. One was closed (not sure if its temporarily or not), and one had many fewer dogs there. --- not one single sign about theYuLin Dog Meat Festival on the streets to be spotted. I was told last year, the whole city was decorated with signs and flags saying Welcome to the dog meat festival. --- so many police on the street. The alert is very high. 2) So many more media (TV, and printed) people are in town. In our hotel there are two crews from two TV stations. I am sharing the room with my Chinese team leader (she has been in YuLin since June 2). She got many phone interviews and many requests for interviews. She told me last year, they had to beg media to come (only two or three came). I talked to a magazine reporter from Beijing who came to our room for the interview. I asked him why he came this year. He told me that he got so many forward messages about the YuLin Dog Meat Festival from his friends via BeiBo (like our FB) this year and decided this is a big enough news for them to come down to cover. 3) Many more activists are in town than last year. WHAT IS NEXT? At this time, we still dont know why the local government has not issued any official ban on the dog meat festival. I talked to a reporter who does not understand why they are being so resistant. Based on his experience, it should have been banned under this type of big, bad publicity. We remain hopeful because the pressure is still being built. My team leader took off last night to go to Beijing to attend a big press conference today on the YuLin Dog Meat Festival organized by It Foundation, the largest foundation for animal welfare in China. The local people are better informed and more empowered than before. Talked to local taxi drivers and local merchants. I talked a local restaurant owner and two beer sales young men (photo 2) (they happened to be there for a sales call). The owner is a Buddhist and she does not eat dog meat. She is selling because people were asking. She told me that the local FDA office gathered all the restaurant owners a few days ago and told them to cover the dog meat sign and buy and sell less dog meat this year. The two young men told me that they dont eat the dog meat either and they are hopeful this long-standing habit can be stopped. They told me because of the heavy media coverage, people are starting to realize how cruel the way the dogs are slaughtered and how badly of the tradition is being perceived by other people. An older man was sitting next to us listening quielty and then made a comment out of blue: its so cruel to kill dogs. I even got to know and visited a local boarding place for pets. A wonderful young woman quit her government job to run this small sanctuary and boarding business. She told me there are two or three groups in YuLin for animal lovers. They care a lot about dogs and cats and all hate the YuLin dog meat festival. There will be some photos about this place and a heart warming story related to this place soon on facebook and on our website blog. As we all know, no evil power will give up or collapse easily or voluntarily. But its been proven many times, step by step, it all can be taken down. We might not there yet but I am confident so far! We have taken a big step forward this year all thanks your BIG support! THANK YOU to ALL OUR SUPPORTERS AND WELL-WISHERS! More coming soon from YuLin. - Andrea
Posted on: Sat, 14 Jun 2014 06:51:50 +0000