A dog slaughterhouse owner in southern China has closed his facility before the controversial Yulin dog meat festival, with support from animal advocates, signaling a shift away from the practice.

A dog slaughterhouse owner in southern China has closed his facility and begun transitioning to a new livelihood with support from animal advocates, just days before the start of the annual controversial Yulin dog meat festival. Launched by local traders in 2010, the Yulin festival, held annually around late June in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, is widely regarded as a commercial campaign to boost sales rather than a long-standing tradition. It has long been condemned for animal cruelty, the...