IPOH, July 7 — Dogs are often known as being man’s best friend.

However, the Yulin Dog Meat Festival held annually on June 21 in Yulin, China sees canines put into cooking pots and eaten.

The festival is meant to celebrate the arrival of the summer solstice.

Reuters recently reported that the dog meat trade was "inhumane and unhygienic”, pointing to videos of dogs caught with wire lassos, transported in tiny cages and slaughtered with metal rods.

Although the festival is held in China, a group of dog lovers in Ipoh, Perak has organised an anti-Yulin Dog Meat Festival.

Instead of eating dog meat, the organiser holds activities to celebrate everything beloved about canines.

From fashion shows to dog grooming, the event, entering its third year, is meant for dog lovers to get together.

Its leader Lee Hsuan Ba said the Anti-Yulin Dog Meat Festival began in 2016.

"Through social media, we can see how dogs are tortured before they are cooked,” he said.

"We just could not stomach it and felt we had to do something to send a message.”

The organiser of the Anti-Yulin Dog Meat Festival holds various activities to celebrate everything beloved about canines.

Speaking to Malay Mail recently, the 44-year-old said the event has grown popular with the most recent one attracting some 300 participants.

"When we first held the event, about 30 people came. Our recent event saw 100 per cent increase in turnout,” he added.

Lee said they were aware they were powerless in stopping the festival but hoped that fewer dogs would be killed because of their efforts.

"It’s a moral victory for us if the number of dogs eaten during the festival is lowered,” he said.

He added that every year, the festival sees an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 dogs killed for human consumption.

Reuters reported that dog meat, a traditional food in parts of southern China, is believed to be beneficial for the body in warm weather.

One of the participants of the Ipoh event, Jeffer Wong, said he could not understand why humans would eat dogs.

"They are man’s best friend. It has been well documented that dogs help humans if there is a need,” said the 41-year-old.

"If everyone is not bothered to voice out, the event will just gain more popularity.”

Sam Cheong concurs with Wong.

"Keeping a dog is better than having humans around.

"At least a dog will not turn its back on you, unlike humans,” he added.

Pet groomer Wong Wai Ting said she found out about the Ipoh event through social media.

"I have joined their events in the past two years and I think it is an effective effort to remind people not to eat dog meat,” said the 23-year-old.

For updates on the Anti-Yulin Dog Meat Festival, follow their Facebook page at Pet Leisure World.