In some parts of southern China it is traditional to celebrate the summer solstice by eating dog meat. Yulin, a city in this region, marks the occasion with a festival that can see as many as 10,000 dogs being slaughtered and consumed.
However, not everyone in China supports this tradition — Yang Xiaoyun, a 65-year-old retired teacher who runs an animal shelter in Tianjin, has traveled over 2,400 km (1,500 miles) and spent more than 7,000 yuan ($1,100 or £720) to save 100 dogs from certain death.
These are the appalling conditions in which dogs are kept at the Yulin Festival.
Reuters
Animals Asia
And this is Yang Xiaoyun, the retiree who travels over a thousand miles to save them.
AP/Humane Society International
She runs an animal shelter called ‘Common Home’, which houses more than 1,000 rescued dogs.
AP/Humane Society International
Ms Yang makes and feeds the canines steamed corn bread twice a day, which is all she can afford.
AP/Humane Society International
AP/Humane Society International
AP/Humane Society International
Except for the weekends, when she treats them to hotdogs.
AP/Humane Society International
AP/Humane Society International
She provides them with all the attention they require — both medical and emotional.
AP/Humane Society International
AP/Humane Society International
And they pay her back the only way they know how, with undying love and adoration.
Reuters
AP/Humane Society International
AP/Humane Society International
AP/Humane Society International
AP/Humane Society International
Ms Yang is not alone in her battle against this tradition. The Yulin Festival has received a huge amount of criticism for its unnecessary cruelty and torture of dogs, with #stopYulin2015 trending on social media.
According to this blog, you can help save these poor unfortunate dogs with a direct bank wire transfer to Ms Yang:
Name: Commercial Bank of China (中国工商银行）
Bank Account City: Tianjin (开户城市－天津）
Bank Account No.: 0302845001009282956
Account Name: Ai Yun YANG （杨爱云
Xiaoyun Yang’s Cell Phone: 13164073263