5 May 2011

500 Dogs Saved From Dinner Table In China

Nearly 500 dogs destined for dinner tables in China have been rescued by animal rights activists in China.

They stopped a truck carrying the animals through Beijing and after a stand-off with police bought the dogs from the lorry driver for $18,000 (£11,000).

Captured Dog In China

Photo: CSAPA

The China Small Animal Protection Association acted when it got a tip-off that a shipment of dogs was passing through the Chinese capital.

The animals are now said to be recovering at a compound on the outskirts of Beijing and at a number of animal hospitals around the city.

Chinese people have been eating dogs for hundreds of years. Many people believing they have medicinal properties.

The CSAPA's Wang Qi said he made a call on his micro-blog site for people to stop the truck.

"I sent the message and then dashed to the scene. People started getting there about an hour later. In all, there were nearly 300 people," said Mr Wang.

The police also turned up, but said they had no power to intervene: the truck driver was breaking no law.

15 Hour Stand-off

The stand-off at a toll booth lasted for 15 hours. Finally, in desperation, the activists used their own money to buy the dogs from the truck driver.

Animal rights activist Lu Di, who shares her home with about 100 cats and dogs, told BBC News that Chinese law does not adequately protect pets, which means people are being forced to take matters into their own hands.

"There aren't many volunteers here today because it's raining, but there were more than 100 here yesterday and the day before," she said, while ordering a clean-up of the chaotic compound.