YULIN, China, June 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Summer Solstice is normally a time for celebration and in Yulin, China, festivities have been underway for the last two days- with a difference. This party involves lychees, alcohol and the consumption of dog meat.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150623/225236 )

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150623/225237 )

Over 10,000 dogs have been shipped in for the fifth year running - mostly strays and stolen pets, old and infirm, as well as new born puppies together with cages of cats to be plunged live into boiling water, or brutally slaughtered in front of their cage mates.

Activists and celebrities alike including Simon Cowell, Family Guy's Lori Alan and the voice of Spongebob Squarepants have spoken out in moving appeal videos http://bit.ly/1RsUu0B

Multiple petitions with over three million signatures have been presented to governments worldwide and the recent StopYulin2015 twitter campaign has trended world-wide.

All appear to be in vain as the Yulin festival went ahead on Sunday with dog traders determined to see a return on their investment - the very same trucks that ship dogs in, are being used by rescuers to save them.

Small British Charity World Protection for Dogs and Cats in the Meat Trade, who run the global NoToDogMeat campaign have been at the centre of this year's activism and rescue. They have been sponsoring known anti dog-meat activist Mrs Yang from China after a hugely successful crowd fundraising campaign.

A spokesperson for the charity said. "Mrs Yang came to see us in Shanghai in May and asked for our help and we responded with a grant and a lifeline for rescuing dogs from Yulin."

"Our plan with Mrs Yang as with all shelters we support, is to set in motion a long term plan to address the problem of strays and build on educating the growing middle classes that dogs are cats can make wonderful companion animals and should not be eaten."

NoToDogMeat plan to join grass roots activists in London this Friday outside the Chinese Embassy highlighting the need for change.

To find out more about NoToDogMeat's work and to help them with their on-going campaign and rescues please visit: 

http://www.notodogmeat.com

More Images available : https://notodogmeat.wordpress.com/2015/06/23/yulin-lives-saved-and-lives-lost/

Press: Julia de Cadenet :  +44(0)207-873-2250, press@notodogmeat.com

SOURCE NoToDogMeat Foundation