Why on earth do we human beings have such a God complex over animals?

It is past time we showed some respect for the creatures we share the earth with. Spoken from my stance as a vegetarian, but also as someone with a heart, values and a strong sense of right and wrong.

The slaughter of thousands of dogs and cats each year at the YuLin Dog Meat Festival in Guangxi province, China needs to stop.

These dogs and cats are captured {many stolen} and caged. They are starved and dehydrated before being publicly slaughtered, hung, skinned and burnt alive or boiled. Horrific for each and every one of them, and for those whose turn it is next.

Animals are intelligent, emotional and cognitively complex. They sense fear and pain.

This is an unfathomable, barbaric practice and needs to be stopped. Last year the authorities announced that they would not support the Festival. As a result less animals were slaughtered. The Festival still went on, just in a less open manner. Fewer lives were senselessly taken away.

This year the Festival is scheduled for 21 June.

I can not sit by quietly and watch such practices continue. I want Love Bug to grow up in a world which shows empathy, love and respect to animals. If I want that, I need to speak out about it. Sure, I am only one voice, but I can not be apathetic. Hopefully I will be joined by many.

There are a number of petitions to support the cessation of this Festival. Here are links to the petitions of the Humane Society International and change.org. These particular links have no horrific images you need to witness before being able to sign. There are many images around, some of which are now burnt into my brain and wedged into my broken heart.

Please sign them, share them on every social media avenue you can.

Take 30 seconds to be an advocate for animals, to be a voice for the thousands of voiceless so together we can #StopYuLin2015.