As the Yulin Dog Meat Festival continues despite calls for it to be banned, a local Chinese woman, Yang Xiaoyun, has paid 7,000 yuan (£710) for 100 dogs, doomed for the dinner table. The 65 year old plans to rehouse the dogs at her home in Tianjin.
1. Dogs are kept in cages by meat dealers at Dashichang dog market, then either sold as pets or destined for the cooking potReuters
2. Locals say the animals are killed in a humane way for the festival, and then the meat is served with lychees, according to traditionReuters
3. The majority of dogs eaten are stolen pets and strays, according to an investigation by Hong Kong-based charity Animals AsiaReuters
4. More than 10,000 cats and dogs will be consumed at the Yulin Dog Meat FestivalReuters
5. Eating dogs is not illegal in China, although the government has called on meat vendors to respect food safety lawsReuters
6. A Change.org petition against the event by US animal rights group Duo Duo closed after attracting more than 200,000 signaturesGetty
6. The dogs are cooked and washed in lychee wine, a full-bodied Chinese dessert wine made of 100% lychee fruitReuters
7. According to Chinese health folklore, eating dogs can ward off colds, stimulate circulation and bring good luckReuters
8. Chinese singer-actress Yang Mi has joined the animal rights activists, publishing a poster that has a picture of a dog shedding a red tear, saying: "Please don't eat us. We're your friends."Getty
9. The Yulin Municipal People's Government issued a statement on 7 June stating: "The so-called summer solstice lychee dog meat festival does not exist," it reads. "Neither Yulin government nor social organisations have ever held such activities."Reuters
10. Protests against the festival are increasing every year - but online users in China have dismissed the activists as "finger-waggling foreigners"Getty
