The annual Yulin Dog Meat Festival in China sees thousands of dogs – many stolen or stray – tortured and killed.

Animal rights activist Andrea Gung works for Duo Duo, an organisation in the Yulin area dedicated to ending the event started a petition on Change.org.

It is currently sixth of the biggest global petitions on Change.org.

Animal rights activist Andrea Gung is calling for an end to the event

Writing on Change.org, Andrea said the festival “has no place in the 21st century.”

She added: “Many of the dogs that are killed are stolen household pets or are watchdogs of rural families. Allowing the Dog Meat Festival to continue is like endorsing dog theft, which supplies the dog meat industry.

“The Yulin Dog Meat Festival is also a dangerous food safety issue. Dogs sold on the market are sick, poisoned and dying animals. They suffer from horrendous conditions during the long distance, trans-provincial journeys, many days without food and water and may carry contagious disease.”

The Yulin Dog Meat Festival is a “food safety issue”, says campaigner, Andrea Gung

The next event is set to be held on June 21.

For more about this campaign go to change.org/yulinfestival or email press.uk@change.org for photos, embeddable video and quotes.