Delwin Cheah, who is autistic and recognised internationally for his artistic talents, has launched a new campaign called “Friend or Food?”, questioning how dogs are perceived by people in the region.

He said a new report from Humane Society International found the slaughter continues all-year-round in Yulin, with an estimated 300 dogs being butchered daily.

“During the Yulin Dog festival alone, it is estimated that 10,000 to 15,000 dogs are consumed.

“Pictures and video footage taken earlier this month show dogs and cats crammed into tiny cages. Many of them had collars, indicating they were pets who had been stolen from families,” he said in a statement.

Cheah said to slaughter a dog, workers use iron tongs to pull the animal out by its neck.

He quoted journalist Peter J. Li, who was at the site, and who said a metal or wooden stick was used to hit the animal’s head to stop it from putting up a fight before it is killed.

Cheah has launched a new T-shirt designed to raise funds for his “Friend or Food?” campaign, where part of the proceeds will be donated to Humane Society International (HSI) China to save the dogs from the dining table and to raise awareness against the annual dogmeat festival.

The T-shirts “Friend or Food?“ are available at a specialist online store.

The eating of dog meat in China dates back thousands of years and it has been a source of food in some areas from around 500 BC and possibly even earlier.

In modern times, the extent of dog consumption in China varies by region. It is most prevalent in Guangdong, Yunnan and Guangxi, as well as the northern provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning.

It is still common to find dog meat served in restaurants in southern China, where dogs are specially raised on farms.