I have tried nearly “everything ” in my capacity to create awareness about the Dog Meat Trade In Asia, especially Yulin Dog and Cat Meat Festival in China.
I’m sure by now, my dear reader, you must have heard of the senseless animal torture on the 21 st June which is held in a Chinese province called Yulin.
The word “cruel” is an understatement. For one, all dogs and cats are “stolen goods”. Two, they are driven in trucks stacked with hundreds of cages over 35 hours across the country dehydrated, starved and infested. By the time they arrive at a Yulin slaughterhouse the dogs only hope is that death will release them quickly.
Since the Chinese believe that meat tastes better when the dog’s adrenal glands are pumping at the time of death, they’ll use way of methods that are beyond our western comprehension. The dogs are usually kicked or beaten to death or else stripped down to their flesh, stuck in boiling hot water. Burning them alive is another way of a method.
.Yulin festival alongside the Boknal dog soul festival (Korea) is one of the worst animal massacres in the world.
THIS IS THE STORY OF HANSUM
Hansum was close to slaughter as he sat in his cage contemplating why humans could be so awful. He was counting the seconds to his death. A little relief, a piece of mind. He was missing his pack very much. See, Hansum like many of the Yulin dogs are street dogs and have been stolen by dog meat vendors from nearby provinces, towns, and cities.
Hansum was a street dog. He had a normal street dog kinda life. Survival had been hard, but never this hard. He had trouble breathing and his immune system was so low and close to -shut down he was picking up deadly viruses from the other tortured dogs.
But a man called Marc Ching came along with a soft whisper. Hansum could barely hear him.The man’s hands were clearly trembling, Hansum could tell. “It’s ok buddy, we’ll get you out in no time .” said the man.
Why would anyone try and set him free … when everything is too late? So many of his peers have died in these cages and Hansum knew in his heart he would be next. Why should he be an exception to all the other dogs?
Hansum prayed that Marc would go away .… Just in case… Just in case … this man would fail him, like all the other men.But Marc stretched out a hand through the cage and stroked Hansum’s ears. It hurt so much to be stroked. He needed water so badly and that’s exactly what Marc gave him.
Marc opened the cage and carried Hansum in his arms until he was safe at the shelter nearby.
Hansum’s is one of the very few Yulin dogs who actually “made it “.Too many dogs after their rescue mission die. They’ve got no life in themselves. No will to survive. Their little bodies just give up. Marc and his people saw many dogs pass away in their arms and never will it get any easier … it cant … they are created by God.
Hansum flew over 6 months in of recovery to the USA. In the UK was a lady called Elizabeth Coe and she no longer could watch the torture of Yulin Dog Meat Festival, so she decided to get in touch with Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation.
She flew over and met her Hansum face to face in Los Angeles the home of Marc Ching’s shelter.
Hansum was in a terrible state but fit enough to fly into the UK where the real recovery would take place. A new home in the Cotswold awaited him. A doggie bed and a warm blanket, hugs and kisses and tons of love and care from mummy and daddy.
Fast-forward one year and I got in touch with the beautiful lady called Elizabeth. I knew I had to get in touch with the first UK citizen who rescued a Yulin Dog from China. I had a Chinese news channel covering my Dog Yoga class for the CHINESE NEW YEAR OF THE DOG. At first, I taught, how ironic when it was me who would campaign outside the embassy each year rolling out my yoga mat and perform doga moves with my dog Robbie with my middle finger stuck up in warrior 3.
This time I had to grab the opportunity by the balls. I had to get the first Yulin dog to doga … so we could tell his story for the CHINESE NEW YEAR OF THE DOG.
Hansum is our Mascot. And we will continue campaigning until this festival and the dog meat industry cease to exist.
Nama paw
Read more about the meat trade here:
