Animal Rights Activists Protest China's Dog Meat Festival (LinkAsia: June 27, 2014)

Each year, the Yulin Lychee Dog Meat Festival takes place on a midsummer's day in southern China, where an estimated 10,000 dogs are eaten annually. The festival has a long history, but it has been getting increased attention in recent times from animal rights activists, especially after reports that traders were threatening to kill dogs on the spot if dog lovers didn't immediately buy them. LinkAsia's Mark Dreyer looks at the reactions to the controversy on social media.

Photo: A vendor (C) lifts a dog as he negotiates with animal activists offering to buy the dogs to stop them from being eaten ahead of the annual dog meat festival in Yulin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region June 20, 2014. The festival, scheduled on June 21 as in previous years to mark the summer solstice, in southern Chinese city of Yulin, has drawn fierce protests from animal welfare groups and pet owners, who urge the local government to ban the long-standing tradition. According to animal welfare activists, about 10, 000 dogs will be consumed on that day, Xinhua News Agency reported. REUTERS/Stringer