DOG MEAT FESTIVAL BEGINS IN CHINA

An annual dog meat festival has begun in southern China, amid widespread domestic and international opposition.

About 10,000 dogs and cats are expected to be killed and eaten during the controversial 10-day festival in Yulin.

Activists say the event is cruel, and this year, a petition calling for it to be banned collected 11 million signatures.

The local government says the festival does not have

official backing but is staged by private businesses.

The Lychee and Dog Meat Festival sees people gathering in Yulin to sample dog meat hotpot, lychee fruits and local liquor.

A tradition of eating dog meat dates back some 500 years in China, South Korea and other countries, where many believe it wards off the heat in summer months.

However the Yulin festival, celebrated during the summer solstice, is a relatively new one, beginning only in recent years.

Residents and vendors in Yulin say the animals are killed in a humane way. But critics say animals are killed brutally and publicly, and are sometimes beaten to death or cooked while still alive.

Ahead of the festival, dogs are often kept in small, cramped cages. Some photographs show animals wearing collars, suggesting they may have been stolen pets.

Many dogs are transported from other cities in cramped lorries and unsanitary conditions, allowing diseases to spread easily. According to campaign group Stop Yulin Forever, dogs are denied food and water for days during their trip.

Selling dog meat for human consumption is legal in China, with an estimated 10 million dogs killed for human consumption every year.

The Yulin event is a source of pride for many locals, with many restaurants serving dog dishes and people travelling to the city to join in. But it attracts widespread and growing criticism each year.

 -- BBC NEWS