Despite public pressure, the Yulin Festivalis continuing this year. But one American activist, Marc Ching, is doing his best to save as many animals as possible.
Source: The Animal Hope & Wellness Foundation
He and his foundation, Animal Hope and Wellness, have gone undercover in Asia many times over the years and have saved thousands of lives.This year was no different. On June 18, he went into a slaughterhouse on the edge of Yulin, where dogs were crammed into tiny cages or being skinned alive for meat.
Source: The Animal Hope & Wellness Foundation
Ching managed to convince the slaughterhouse to let the animals go, typically he does so by offering to help them convert to another line of work.He posted a heart wrenching video showing 188 dogs, cats, minks and a pig being released from their horrifying cages at a quarantine facility.Sadly, not all of the animals made the journey from slaughterhouse to sanctuary. They had to pull out several dogs who had died.
Source: The Animal Hope & Wellness Foundation
Those who did survive are understandably terrified of humans and run away whenever anyone approaches. But one of the most shocking aspects of Ching's rescues is that he makes sure every single canine is scanned for a microchip - and many come up positive.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2hTicLJyjc[/embed]Because dog meat farms are illegal in China, most of the animals are found as strays or stolen from their families. Ching wrote in a Facebook post:
We are going to take the data, file each case with the police as well as the government - possession of stolen property. We will also work on getting each dog back to their family.
Source: Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation
While Ching is doing an amazing job saving thousands of lives, Humane Society Internationalestimates that 30 million dogs are killed in the Asian meat trade every year. You can help support Animal Hope and Wellness by donating here.Luckily, in South Korea and China, the number of citizens who eat dog meat is on the decline. But the fight does not end here - we need to keep on campaigning until the trade is outlawed completely. LCA has made incredible progress in the fight against this horrifying industry. You can help support their vital work by making a donation.To sign the petition to end the slaughter of thousands of innocent dogs and cats, click here.
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