Police officers and animal defense activists from the Vshine and Humane Society International organizations in China intercepted a truck loaded with 260 puppies and 22 dogs, illegally transported for the meat and pet trade.
The animals were crammed into small cages, including 12 puppies, possibly killed by suffocation. The activists who participated in the performance described the load as a “truck from hell”. Humane Society International and Vshine have released images of the conditions in which the rescued animals were found.
Activists in defense of animals next to the truck intercepted by the police.
The truck driver had taken the dogs, all destined to be sold for the meat or pet trade, on a grueling journey of more than 1,500 kilometers from Guizhou to Huainan before local activists spotted him on the road. Volunteers with the campaign against the dog meat trade for Humane Society International and its Chinese partner group, Vshine discovered the cargo and alerted the police.
One of the puppies killed in the intercepted truck.
Following the report of the alleged illegal transportation of live animals, local police immediately dispatched law enforcement officers to intercept the truck, forcing it to stop on the side of the road. When the truck driver failed to provide the documents required to legally transport live animals across provincial borders, the dogs were confiscated and placed in veterinary care and custody.
Adult dogs were meant to be sold to a slaughterhouse for human consumption, while puppies were originally intended to be sold as pets, though many were so sick when rescued that they would likely have ended up at the slaughterhouse as well, Humane Society International has said. .
Veterinarians in the supervision of the health status of rescued animals.
“Sadly, conditions were so dire that 12 of the puppies had died when they intercepted the truck, and a further 18 died shortly after of parvovirus and distemper, both highly contagious diseases that cause serious illness and possibly death in dogs,” he said. animal organization.
The animal defense organization explains that the person who discovered the truck, surnamed Teng, felt compelled to intervene: “My heart sank when I saw the truck on the road that night. She knew it was going to be bad because there were so many dogs crammed in, but she didn’t expect there would be so many little puppies. They were all crying for our attention, covered in their own urine and feces, and in very bad shape. It was disgusting what they endured, like a truck from hell for those poor dogs. I noticed little Apple right away because he had lost so much fur, and my heart just melted. She wanted to do everything she could to make it up to him so she could forget his ordeal, but his suffering had been too much. It terrifies me to think what would have happened to all of them, and I am very sad for all those who, like Apple, did not make it. We are grateful to the Huainan police who acted so quickly to help save these dogs.
The remaining dogs are now safe and receiving veterinary care, nutritious food, water and rest at nearby shelters. Once their quarantine period is over, they will be transported to Vshine’s shelter, which is funded by the Humane Society International. The rescue comes just three months before the mass slaughter of dogs and cats in Yulin, and is a timely reminder that suffering and death at the hands of dog meat dealers is the fate of millions of animals across China. every year.
Dr Peter Li, HSI China Policy Specialist, said: “This sad story is all too common in China, where hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats each month endure excruciating suffering like this to make a profit for the meat trade. and pets. Chinese animal activists regularly alert the police when trucks are identified, and in this case, the Huainan police were exemplary in their response. I am hopeful that more law enforcement agencies in China can act in the interests of public security, public health and animal welfare like the Huainan police. The condition of these dogs was so dire that many more would likely have died before reaching their intended destination, and the sickly puppies would probably have been sold for meat just like the adult dogs. Thank God for the Chinese animal activists and police who saved so many lives,
Dog meat trade in China
Coinciding with the intervention in Anhui, Humane Society International recalls that “most people in China do not eat dogs, in fact, dog meat is only eaten infrequently by a small percentage of the Chinese population.” A 2016 survey found that more than half of Chinese citizens (51.7%) think the dog meat trade should be banned entirely, and the majority (69.5%) have never eaten dog meat. (Survey conducted by the Chinese polling company Horizon and commissioned by the Chinese group China Animal Welfare Association in collaboration with Humane Society International and Avaaz).
Even in Yulin (where the so-called meat “festival” is still held in June every year), a 2017 survey conducted by Chinese state-registered charities and assisted by Yulin municipal government research staff , shows that the majority of people (72%) do not eat dog regularly despite the efforts of dog meat merchants to promote it.
In 2020, China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs made an official statement that dogs are pets and not “livestock” for food, and two major cities in mainland China, Shenzhen and Zhuhai, banned the consumption of meat. dog and cat.
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