China bans dog-eating 'carnival' after online uproar

The Chinese government has banned a traditional carnival in the east of the country in which dogs are eaten after being chopped up alive in the street following a public uproar that the festival was cruel.

The tradition in Qianxi in the wealthy coastal province of Zhejiang dates back 600 years to celebrate a local military victory and is normally held every October.

'The ancient fair was replaced by a modern commodity fair in the 1980s, but dog-eating has been kept as a tradition,' it reported.

'However, vendors began to butcher dogs in public a few years ago to show their dog meat is fresh and safe, as a way to ease buyers' worry that the meat may be refrigerator-preserved or even contaminated.'

ORIGINAL SOURCE

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