Days before the start of China’s infamous Yulin dog meat festival, one slaughterhouse that had operated for nearly two decades finally shut its doors for good, and nine dogs walked out alive instead of being sent to their fate.
The facility, located about 30 kilometers south of Yulin city center in Guangxi province, had killed more than 15,000 dogs since it began operating in 2007, slaughtering around 15 dogs a week, with June alone accounting for 70% of its annual income due to festival demand.
On June 8, 2026, animal welfare group Vshine Animal Protection Association, working with funding and technical support from Humane World for Animals, secured a legally binding agreement with the slaughterhouse’s owner to close the business permanently, marking the very first livelihood conversion of its kind in Yulin.
Nine dogs were rescued from the property, including three still wearing collars, clear signs they had once been someone’s pets.
Rescuers have since named them An An, a Labrador, Moli, a beagle, and Lian, a poodle. All nine are now receiving veterinary care to recover before being transported to Vshine’s shelter, where they’ll be quarantined, vaccinated, and sterilized ahead of adoption into loving homes.
The slaughterhouse owner, referred to by the pseudonym Mr. Huang for his safety, said he was ready to leave the trade behind after nearly 20 years.
“I have been killing dogs for almost 20 years. It’s a dirty business and I don’t feel good about it,” he said in a statement translated by Humane World for Animals.
He’s now considering opening a breakfast business instead, serving rice porridge, fried dough, and steamed buns.
Julie Sanders, director of Humane World for Animals’ End Dog and Cat Meat campaign, called the closure proof that even in China’s most notorious dog meat hotspot, support for the trade is fading.
“The dog and cat meat trade in China is unpopular, often illegal, a danger to public health… and outside of the mainstream food culture,” she said, adding that offering traders a path to new livelihoods could save thousands more animals going forward.
For nine dogs who came within days of the festival, this closure meant the difference between a horrific end and a real second chance.
Would you support more programs that help slaughterhouse owners transition to new livelihoods?
Source:
1. scmp – “Dirty business: China dog slaughterhouse shuts down ahead of controversial Yulin festival”
2. humaneworld – “Yulin dog slaughterhouse closes its doors for good in city’s first ever livelihood conversion ahead of China’s infamous dog meat festival”