WORRISOME FATE OF STRAYS

The fate of stray animals is also becoming a concern for animal lovers. Stories of animal abuse abound and have generated numerous headlines in recent years in China, causing a wave of public fury and spurring hot debate among the general public about the ethical treatment of strays.

In May, dozens of stray cats were abused and brutally slaughtered in a residential district in Beijing, with the fur of the dead cats almost completely plucked out.

In September, a poster was hung on a wall in a district in Nanning alleging that some people had deliberately put poison in the area and killed a dozen cats. The poster warned people to take care of their pets.

Apart from animal abuse, many abandoned animals are easy victims in China, where in many places dog and cat meat are considered delicacies in the local cuisine.

According to official statistics, more than 10 million dogs and 4 million cats are sold annually in the Chinese market for cooking purposes. Of those sold for food, many are stray or stolen animals, according to Li Qing.

Earlier this year, an annual dog meat festival held every summer solstice in Yulin City in Guangxi faced harsh criticism from experts and animal rights activists, but that did not stop local residents from standing by their tradition.

Local residents butchered tens of thousands of dogs on the streets, then ate the meat alongside lychee, believing the practice keeps illness at bay.

Hong Bin, an activist, said that many of the slaughtered dogs are strays that might have been poisoned.