In deplorable circumstances, animal rights activists and local police in China have captured a truck transporting over 300 dogs headed for the meat or pet industries.
Statement From Animal Rights Activists
According to a statement from animal welfare non-profit Humane Society International, the truck, carrying 260 pups and 22 adult dogs, was stopped on a highway in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui after an arduous 1,000-mile journey.
According to one activist on the scene, the dogs were being kept in such bad condition that it was referred to as a "vehicle from hell."
In reality, the puppies' circumstances were so bad that 12 of them had perished when the truck was stopped. Another 18 died from parvovirus and distemper, two highly contagious illnesses that may be lethal in dogs.
Furthermore, many surviving puppies are dehydrated, starved, and have skin diseases.
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Dog Meat Trade
After one anti-dog meat trade advocate (just identified as "Teng") observed the truck, informed local authorities, and organized local activists to plan a rescue, the truck was pulled over.
Teng is a volunteer with HSI and Vshine, a Chinese partner organization.
"When I saw the truck on the highway that night, my heart dropped; I knew it would be horrible since there were so many dogs crowded inside, but I hadn't anticipated there to be so many little pups," Teng said in a statement.
"They were all wailing for help, covered in their pee and feces and terrible state." They had to go through was horrific, like a vehicle from hell for those poor dogs."
Alerting the Authority
Teng alerted local cops to a possible unlawful transfer of live animals, and they responded quickly, assigning police officers to intercept the truck.
Authorities confiscated the dogs because the driver could not properly produce the requisite documentation to transport live animals over provincial boundaries. Activists were permitted to administer emergency veterinary care.
Other than limitations in the cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai, according to an HSI spokeswoman, there are no regulations particularly restricting the dog meat trade elsewhere in China, at least when it comes to eating or transit.
In this case, the trucker broke the law by transporting live animals (not only dogs) without the necessary health and quarantine certifications.
"Of course, dog dealers don't have [these] since practically all dogs they transport are stolen pets or street dogs," said Wendy Higgins, a spokesman for the organization.
China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued an official proclamation in May 2020 clarifying that dogs are companion animals and are not classified as "livestock" in the nation, indicating shifting attitudes.
According to polls, only a tiny percentage of the population consumes dog meat regularly, and more than half of Chinese people believe the trade in dog meat should be prohibited.
Almost Meeting a Grim Fate
All of the adult dogs aboard the truck, according to Higgins, were headed for the meat trade, while the puppies were to be sold as pets, according to the truck driver.
"However, because so many of the puppies were in poor health, it's possible that many of them would have been rejected by their intended buyer and ended up at the dog butcher.
Dogs can end up in slaughterhouses for various reasons, but one of the most common is being rejected for the pet trade, "Higgins explained.
The surviving dogs are now safe and receiving veterinary attention, food, and water at a local shelter. They will be relocated to a Vshine-run shelter after completing their quarantine period.
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