Eight Lives Saved From the Yulin Meat Market

Amid the grim cases we usually document, here is something different — a reminder that this fight also saves lives. On June 28, 2025 — during that summer's Yulin festival — Feline Guardians Japan and allied volunteers rescued six puppies and two adult dogs from the Yulin dog meat market.

Every summer around the solstice, the city of Yulin in Guangxi, China holds a "dog and cat meat" event in which large numbers of animals — many of them believed to be stolen pets and strays — are trafficked, caged, and slaughtered. Eight of them were spared that fate because people refused to look away.

A single rescue does not end the trade. But it is everything to the animals who are pulled out alive, and it keeps the issue in front of the world — which is exactly where it needs to stay.

That is the purpose of our ongoing campaign, Stop Yulin 2026. Around the 10th of every month, supporters around the world post a photo of their own pets together with the hashtags #StopYulin2026, #YulinIsTorture and #stopyulin, and the phrase "Their life matters 🐈🐕" — tagging media, influencers and officials so the call to end the trade cannot be ignored.

You can join the next monthly action, find the campaign materials, and learn how to take part on our Stop Yulin hub (felineguardiansjapan.com/stop-yulin) and the Take Action page. Every single post helps keep the pressure on — because their lives matter.

Reporting and visuals: Feline Guardians Japan (@feline_guardians_japan) and Yosee Takahashi (@yosee.takahashi). Based on our Stop Yulin 2026 campaign on Instagram.