The dog meat trade is considered inhumane and condemned by several animal rights groups around the world. However, despite the protests and petitions, the consumption of dog meat in China and other countries around the world is still ongoing. To make matters worse, some of the dogs involved in this trade are stolen from their owners and then sold for their meat.
The animal rights groups have vowed to continue with its mission of saving dogs as much as they can and to give them loving families in another country.
Recently, a rescue group based in Florida brought 20 Golden Retrievers from China to the United States to give them a chance to start a new life and to be loved as a family member.
Golden Rescue South Florida had made a tremendous effort in bringing these dogs to the United States. Kristine Minerva, the team leader in this rescue mission, shared that it was hard for them to track down these illegal activities to save the dogs from being killed.
To bring the dogs to the United States, it took Kristine’s team lots of paperwork. It took them months to process all the necessary documents for all the dogs under their care: medical clearance, immunization records, among others. Kristine’s team also experienced refusals in processing the papers of these dogs.
When the dogs were ready to be expatriated, Kristine’s team once again was faced with another hurdle: the plane that carried the dogs going to the United States experienced a mechanical problem in Taiwan. The flight was delayed for 40 hours which was stressful for the dogs. Moreover, the dogs were not allowed to get out of the crates to get their much-needed stretch.
Thankfully, with the combined efforts of PETA, Taiwan SPCA, and other rescue partners in Chicago and China, the dogs were taken care of during the 40-hour layover. The dogs were fed during that time.
When the dogs arrived in Florida, the rescuers needed to bathe them since they were in their crates for five days. They were covered in feces and urine. The volunteers stepped in to clean all the dogs.
Another good news is that all the 20 dogs have been adopted!
Golden Rescue South Florida will not stop in its mission to save the dogs from the meat trade. They will do their best to give these dogs a second chance in life.
Photos courtesy of Golden Rescue South Florida via Facebook
