As the controversial Summer Solstice Lychee Dog Eating Festival in Yulin approaches, local health care professionals have reportedly been ordered to refrain from chowing down on man’s best friend.

The Southern Metropolis Daily reports two doctors from the Yulin maternal and child care service center have stated that doctors, nurses, and their families have been ordered to refrain from eating dog meat in public.

However, a deputy director of the center disputed the claims, saying there has been no such order.

READ: Shocking: The Brazen Capture of a Dog in Broad Daylight in Guangdong

The report did not say why health care professionals have been singled out, nor did it say if other professional fields are also included in the order.

The Yulin dog eating festival is an annual event that has attracted criticism and protests from animal activists. An estimated 10,000 dogs were consumed at the festival last year, and organizers are gearing up for this year’s festival on June 21.

Clashes between protestors and Yulin residents have already begun despite local efforts to minimize the controversy by removing the character “dog” from all Yulin restaurant signs and menus.

Related:

• Another Brutal Dog Killing, This Time at a Shelter in Hangzhou
• Dog Beaten to Death in Beijing in Front of Foreign Owner
• Dogs Move From the Dinner Plate to the Perfect Companion
• Drunk Woman Passes Out in the Street, Pet Dogs Protect Her

Photo: 163