More dogs were rescued in China on April 20,2012. It does not serve any of us well to blame an entire country for animal cruelty when it is apparent that there are activists and citizens working to make changes. Even though the lot of us agree that the Chinese government needs to improve (what country doesn't), what do you think would happen in the West if activists and citizens stopped a truck load of pigs, chickens or cows?
Below is an article from Care for Chinese Animals that was put on the Asian Animal Protection Network (AAPN) group by founder Dr.John Wedderburn, who also lived in Hong Kong for many years. The links provided are in Chinese, but can be easily translated by Google. I'm also including a video:http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzg1MDc4Njcy.html
Thanks Ann-Marie!!
From: Care for Chinese Animals Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2012
April 20th 500 caged dogs rescued in Kunming China
by LAAR
Important news. Please read and share. thanks. Paola
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4.20 Kunming Dog Rescue
http://news.sina.com.cn/s/2012-04-21/075524307389.shtml
On the night of April the 19th, an urgent message via Weibo (Chinese Twitter) said that there was a truck filled with caged dogs coming towards the Fumin-Kunming Highway. Hundreds of loving citizens came to the toll station on the highway within half an hour in an effort to stop the truck, which has to pass through there. The volunteers called local police and at 11pm the truck, with 505 dogs in 156 cages, was stopped at the toll station on the highway of Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan Province, southwest of China.
Both the caged dogs and the volunteers were made to wait over night at the police station for officers from various local governments to arrive. During this time volunteers tried their best to provide water and food for the poor dogs who were all squeezed into the cages, and even with their best efforts many dogs were injured and some even died. The next morning police officers finally allowed the volunteers to take the cages down from the trucks as their situation was worsening. The loving volunteers worked hard to keep all dogs fed and as healthy as possible, as well as providing shade and protecting them from the hot sun.
There were many breeds of dogs that were kidnapped including Husky and Samoyed, with many wearing leads and wearing clothes, clear indications that these dogs were stolen from their families by these evil people. Many dogs were very weak and sick from the terrible ordeal.
The driver of the truck had no legal paper work with him, and the dogs were supposed to be released by the Animal Quarantine Office. However, the local AQ officer had phoned the AQ office in Xichang, Sichuan Province, where the truck had originally come from, and declared the certificate that they had over there legal. This caused the officers to allow any healthy dogs to go back to the driver. It is ridiculous that such a thing was allowed based on no evidence that there is even a real certificate. Even with a legal certificate the poor dogs should never be allowed to go back to the dog napper. By this time it was getting dark, and the police forced volunteers out of the police station. The poor dogs were caged again and reloaded up to the truck to prepare to go. To stop this injustice from happening the volunteers refused to leave and waited outside the front gate of the police station and sent out a message for more people to come via Weibo. Dog lovers from inside and outside of China called the local government and the police station repeatedly to protest their decision.
Volunteers had their cars block the front gate of the police station in order to stop the truck and dogs leaving, and many volunteers and dog lovers arrived to block the front gate and tell them to release the dogs. It is wonderful to see so many loving people go to such efforts to rescue these dogs!
Finally a sum of 60000 RMB (around $10000 USD) was paid by a loving person who does not wish to be named, and the dogs were finally released to a local animal rescue group. This happened on the midnight of April the 20th, and the tired volunteers were happy to see the dogs finally being freed from their cages. On the morning of April the 21st more volunteers and local vets came to treat injured dogs and ensure their safety. Many citizens in Kunming wish to adopt dogs and it was great to already see some dogs being given a nice home. The Kunming Yixin Stray Animal Rescue group had around four hundred dogs in their shelter before the 20/04 rescue, and endeavoured to make more space for the rescued dogs to stay in. Hopefully with support from more loving people from China as well as elsewhere in the world, the rescued dogs will recover soon and be returned to be family members again.
Though it is unfortunate that such a large sum of money had to be paid to the evil dog nappers to get the dogs to be released, it is still great to hear these dogs will now be safe and sound. The 4.20 Kunming dog rescue is sure to make the history books of animal protection in China.
Photos of SOS#4.20 Kunming Dog Rescue:
http://news.qq.com/a/20120422/000226.htm#p=10
Links of Kunming Yixin Stray Animal Rescue group
Weibo ;
Kunming Yixin Stray Animal Rescue
Link of SOS#4.20 Dog rescue:
http://s.weibo.com/weibo/%25E6%2598%2586%25E6%2598%258E420%25E7%258B%2597%25E7%258B%2597%25E5%25A4%25A7%25E6%2595%2591%25E6%258F%25B4
Briefly translated by Joy Gao
April 22nd 2012
