In early October, when a local animal-lover found a cage of cats at the Shaoshui No 2 wet market in Quan Zhou City, Guangxi, she contacted a local animal group, Bao Bei You Jia. The local group rescued the cats and filed a complaint with the local government.
A cage of cats found at the Shaoshui No 2 wet market
Nothing about legal actions is easy in dog and cat eating regions. To successfully file a complaint one must have: 1) A brave activist that is willing to file the case (risking retaliation by meat vendors) 2) Solid evidence (catching the trade in the act) 3) An official that is willing to accept the case There were a few legal cases that were rejected by various local governments in the past. For example, this type of lawsuit will never happen in Yulin in the foreseeable future because the Yulin government would never accept the case.
After the successful ruling, all the dog and cat meat vendors (a total of 5) were being warned and forced to close down. A "No Dog or Cat Meat Selling is Allowed" post was set up by the entrance of the market.
This is just a local case, but it established a presence and we will train local volunteers throughout the dog and cat-eating regions how to copy this case to use the "food safety" law to file and win a complaint like this one. We continue to set the tone for change with our actions. Thanks to our donors' trust and support that allows us to provide local activists with much-needed legal help. Onward with this small victory!