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A 65-year-old animal lover has paid thousands of yuan to rescue roughly 100 dogs from sale at a market in Yulin, the southern Chinese city known for an annual dog-meat event held around the summer solstice.
According to reports, Yang Xiaoyun spent about 7,000 yuan (roughly US$1,000–1,500) to buy the animals on Saturday and said she plans to take them home to Tianjin, nearly 2,000 km away, and rehouse them.
Photos shared online showed Yang inspecting cages at the market as she negotiated purchases.
The Yulin gathering has drawn growing criticism from animal welfare groups and online campaigners, who call the practice cruel.
Activists have in previous years traveled to Yulin to protest and sometimes buy dogs to spare them.
Investigations by charities such as Animals Asia say many animals sold for meat are stolen pets or strays, a factor that has intensified public concern.
High-profile voices abroad, including comedian Ricky Gervais, also highlighted the campaign against the festival this year.
Local officials have sought to distance the city from the event, saying the so-called “summer solstice lychee and dog meat festival” is a commercial label rather than a government-organized festival.
While eating dog meat is not illegal in China, authorities urged vendors to follow food-safety rules amid the controversy.
