A total of 22 dogs, including 17 golden retrievers, two corgis, a French bulldog, a sheepdog, and a Malamute, were rescued from dog meat farms with the assistance of China Rescue Dogs, a non-profit organization focused on rescuing and rehabilitating dogs trapped in the dog meat trade. These lucky dogs are now happy pets, and have been saved from a cruel fate.
China Rescue Dogs rescued the dogs from the dog meat trade and provided them with veterinary care, microchips, and exposure to potential adopters. The dogs were then cleared for travel and underwent a 12-hour flight from China to Los Angeles in late April.
David MacNeil, the founder and CEO of WeatherTech, covered the costs for the 22 rescued dogs’ flight from China to the US. MacNeil was inspired to help dogs affected by the dog meat trade after seeing a distressing video.
MacNeil named the dog Oden and rescued him, which led him to become dedicated to helping more dogs. MacNeil covered the flight costs for the 22 dogs rescued by China Rescue Dogs and stated that he has nothing but compassion for animals that are bred in inhumane conditions for their meat, confined to terrible cages, and left to suffer every day until they die.
After being rescued by China Rescue Dogs and receiving veterinary care, microchips, and interest from potential adopters, the 22 dogs were flown to Los Angeles by MacNeil. The dogs were greeted by their new adopters in California, having already been matched with animal lovers across the United States by China Rescue Dogs.
The new pet owners from several states in the US were present at the airport in Los Angeles to welcome the 22 rescued dogs from China. These dogs were earlier provided with veterinary care, microchips, and potential adopters by China Rescue Dogs. The organization successfully found loving homes for all the dogs with animal lovers across the country before they left for the US. Co-founder of China Rescue Dogs, Jill Stewart, expressed her happiness in successfully bringing these dogs to safety and ensuring them love and care for the rest of their lives.
China Rescue Dogs is currently collecting money to organize a new rescue flight, with the aim of saving more dogs from the dog meat trade before the upcoming Yulin Dog Meat Festival, scheduled for June 26 to July 1. Despite efforts by the Chinese government to stop it, the festival continues to happen annually. The nonprofit organization has estimated that during the 2023 festival, as many as 50,000 dogs could die each day.
The organization is hoping to bring at least 50 dogs to the US in May and is urging people to clear shelters in China in advance of the festival so they can save and protect more dogs from certain death.
Read More: Peoplemag