In May, 2013, the NoToDogMeat (NTDM) movement began holding public protest actions in London after its organizer observed appalling cruelty against dogs in China. These dogs were killed for their meat.
This became the first “World Awareness Day” which Julia de Cadenet, the organizer, continued to hold after her stay in China in 2009 which profoundly altered her life’s direction.
To bolster the NTDM campaign, Julia founded the charity World Protection For Dogs and Cats in the Meat Trade, which eventually gained Special Consultative Status with the United Nations.
Back in April 2013, a small team of dedicated individuals in London launched the NTDM campaign via social media, which has since evolved into a global movement with volunteers and organizers in Germany, China, Cambodia, and the Philippines.
NTDM facilitated the screening of a short film on the dog meat trade at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2013, marking a significant breakthrough. The mainstream media then began to reveal the appalling dog meat trade in China, Korea, and Vietnam.
Julia’s unwavering commitment to highlight the barbaric dog meat trade has alerted the world and given a voice to the dogs and cats in Southeast Asia who are slaughtered for their meat.
Last year, NoToDogMeat addressed the issue of the dog meat trade (DMT) in the Philippines by conducting a series of lectures at every municipal police station in Aklan, a province northwest of Luzon Island. The aim was to curb cruelty towards Filipino dogs, many of which are strays or feral. These dogs often fall prey to the dog meat trade as they are unowned and can be easily taken from village roads.
NTDM maintains that continuing discussions about the dog meat trade are vital, even if laws already prohibit it, as seen in the Philippines. This keeps the issue at the forefront, engaging bright minds and policymakers. Another important point of view is that animal cruelty should be seen as a precursor to human violence, as this can only benefit animals such as dogs that end up on dinner plates.
Julia’s steadfast determination to halt the slaughter of cats and dogs led her to return to China in June of this year, specifically to Yulin province, where the annual dog meat consumption event occurs. Amidst the local patrons who converge in the town to purchase and consume dog meat, Julia had to defend herself against attempts of physical harm and managed to evade aggressive assaults while documenting the appalling scenes of dog carcasses suspended from iron hooks at the butcher’s shop, some intact and others displayed as chopped parts across numerous stalls.
This was observed and documented despite the fact that in 2021, the Chinese government announced that dogs are not to be considered livestock and prohibited their live slaughter for food. This appears to be widely disregarded and not enforced.
Reflecting on her journey, Julia remarks that founding NoToDogMeat has revealed to her the extremes of human nature, yet she would not trade the experience for anything. This mission has become a life’s calling for her and many others, and they cannot working to end dog meat trade all over the world, knowing that dogs continue to suffer.
To donate to NoToDogMeat, go to www.notodogmeat.com
