Lawmaker to China: End dog meat festival

Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) joined animal rights advocates on Capitol Hill Tuesday to call on China to end the annual dog meat-eating eating event known as the Yulin festival.

{mosads}”We’re gathered here today on the first day of 2016 Yulin festival to condemn this inhumane practice,” Zeldin said during the press conference. “Hopefully we can take the awareness that rises now as result of you all being here and great advocates being here so that it doesn’t take place again next year.”

Zeldin co-sponsored a measure, H.Res. 752, introduced by Democratic Rep. Alcee Hasting (Fla.) in May, urging the Chinese government and Yulin authorities to end the meat trade and enforce food safety and animal transportation laws. It also calls on China to enact an anti-animal cruelty law.

The Lychee and Dog Meat Festival launched in 2009 and involves the selling and killing of thousands of dogs for consumption. Outraged has been sparked over allegedly gruesome and cruel methods used to kill the animals.

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