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Activists Save 68 Pooches Headed For China’s Annual Dog Meat Eating Festival

Activists Save 68 Pooches Headed For China’s Annual Dog Meat Eating Festival

The animals had no food or water on their perilous journey to death and were found crammed inside rusty cages.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

China's annual Yulin Dog Meat Festival is now underway and campaigners are again calling on the country to stop the event.

Animal activists in Guangxi intercepted a truck carrying 68 'terrified' and 'exhausted' dogs who were headed to be slaughtered to celebrate the Summer solstice.

The animals endured the lengthy road trip without food or water and were crammed inside so tightly in rusty cages that many couldn't move.

Liang Jia, a Guangxi activist, said: "It was so frustrating to watch trucks of dogs arrive in Yulin when the authorities were supposed to be stopping them and confiscating the dogs. So we decided to save some dogs ourselves and waited on the highway for the next truck to arrive.

HSU

"When it did, we flagged it down and convinced the truck driver to hand over the dogs because they were clearly stolen pets for whom he didn't have the legally required paperwork.

"The dogs offered us their paw just like a pet at home, and they had healthy teeth which means someone was looking after them before they were stolen.

"The Yulin authorities have a responsibility to protect public health, even if they don't also care about the animals like we do.

"These poor dogs look sick, and thankfully now they will receive veterinary care, but who knows what diseases they could carry that would end up in the food market."

The dogs have since been moved to a facility for treatment, which will allow them to rest, recover and receive veterinary care.They will then be transported to a shelter supported by Humane Society International.

China policy specialist for Humane Society International, Dr Peter Li, said the activists are very brave for taking matters into their own hands.

"These activists are typical of a new generation in China who strongly oppose the dog and cat meat trades and are prepared to take action to see it ended in places like Yulin," he said.

HSU

"The truth is that most Chinese people, including those in Yulin, don't eat dogs. The suffering of these animals in Yulin is of course a tragedy, but we need to be calling for an end to this brutal trade every day across China, not just a few days in June in one city.

"Thankfully these 68 dogs are now safe after what must have been a terrifying ordeal, but for thousands more dogs in Yulin and millions across the country, the cruelty continues.

"Through dog theft, illegal trans-provincial transport and inhumane slaughter, the trade not only subjects animals to suffering but also risks public health with the potential for the spread of rabies and other diseases."

Featured Image Credit: Humane Society International

Topics: News, Animals