Chilling video shows China pet market selling sick dogs, cats and guinea pigs in filthy cages for their meat
A Chinese pet market sold extremely sick or even dying dogs, cats, and guinea pigs kept in filthy cages amid the Covid-19 pandemic, campaigners have revealed. They also said that the market was full of live animals on sale for their meat.
According to reports, campaigners did an undercover investigation and took the footage of the unnamed market in eastern China in May when coronavirus cases were on the rise in most of the world. During the investigation, they reportedly saw numerous stalls in the mucky market selling live pigeons, chickens, and quails as food while other animals, like rabbits, were kept in feces-encrusted cages, awaiting their buyers.
The MailOnline got the footage from PETA that has warned that if the market like this continues to operate, the world will face more pandemics in the future. The market reportedly sells more than half a dozen species, either sold for their meat or as companion animals. During the investigation, it was found that no veterinary care was provided to sick animals. While one part of the footage showed a cat lying in its shared cage looking sick and helpless, another section gave a glimpse of a dying guinea pig on offer. The visuals of dead animals dumped into bins near the living were also seen in the video.
You can see the video here.
“Diseases run rampant when animals are confined to filthy, enclosed spaces. While the trajectory of the Covid-19 pandemic remains unpredictable, one thing is certain: Live-animal markets will continue to put the human population at enormous risk,” PETA Senior Vice President Jason Baker said.
Earlier in June, a report claimed that Chinese wet markets were chopping and selling dog meat ahead of the notorious Yulin festival though dogs have been declared “companion animals”. The report of the sale of piles of butchered dogs came into light after animal rights campaigners captured the heart-breaking scene at a specialized dog meat market on the outskirts of Yulin city. They also reportedly rescued ten puppies from another market outside the city after spotting them being caged, ready to be killed.
The Yulin dog meat festival is an annual celebration held in the city of Yulin in the Shaanxi province of China. It is considered one of the most controversial food festivals in the world since the celebration sees thousands of dogs killed, skinned, and cooked with blow-torches. This year the festival was celebrated from June 21 to June 30.
One of the activists, Jenifer Chen, said she could not believe her eyes what she witnessed in the dog meat market. “I can't believe that anyone would even want to eat these adorable little darlings. My hands were trembling when I took the first puppy out of the cage. He kept licking my hands, and unbeknown to him I could easily have been a dog meat-eater,” she said, adding: “Like the Chinese government said, these puppies are companions, not livestock, and cities like Yulin should put those words into practice and end this shameful dog meat trade.”
However, another report in late June stated that though the infamous dog meat festival opened this year, activists were hopeful that the festival won’t survive for long and said the number of people attending the festival has declined. "I do hope Yulin will change not only for the sake of the animals but also for the health and safety of its people,” Peter Li, China policy specialist with the Humane Society International, an animal rights group, said, adding: “Allowing mass gatherings to trade in and consume dog meat in crowded markets and restaurants in the name of a festival poses a significant public health risk.”