Over 600 cats saved from slaughter in China
Two of the 620 cats rescued in Nanjing, China who are now safe and being looked after by local animal protection groups. Photo by Vshine Animal Protection Association
With so much global attention focused on the dog meat trade in a handful of Asian countries, it’s important not to overlook the fact that there is a regional cat meat trade as well. The best one could say is that it’s smaller than the dog meat industry, thankfully. Otherwise, it’s got the same cruelties, the same suffering, and the same misery.
We’re just as determined to stop it, too, and last week, with our partner groups in China—CAWA and Vshine—we helped strike a big blow against the trade by assisting activists who had halted a shipment of 620 cats being trucked to a slaughterhouse. They’re all safe now.
On July 31, Chinese advocates in Nanjing spotted a truck filled with cats, which they reported to local authorities. The trader involved, aware of the risks of possible prosecution under food safety and other laws in China, surrendered all 620 cats.
On receiving a call for help, Humane Society International responded immediately by sending life saving funds and partner activists to help at the scene. Now, our attention is focused on the welfare and care of the animals. They’re in the custody of local animal protection groups, and some 100 of the cats are being looked after in a facility jointly maintained by Vshine Animal Protection Association and HSI. They will soon be ready for domestic and international adoption.
The cats are in poor physical condition and these vital days after a rescue are critical. Many display friendly behavior suggesting that they were stolen pets; some were wearing collars when rescued, and some had been spayed or neutered. We suspect they were held somewhere by the cat meat traders for weeks because many of them were dangerously thin and undernourished and at risk of dying of thirst.
In China, although dog meat is only eaten by a relatively small percentage of the population, consumption occurs to some degree or another within almost all mainland provinces. By contrast, cat meat consumption is more restricted to the two southern provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi (where the Yulin dog meat festival occurs). Like dogs shipped over great distances to the three main dog meat markets in China, cats typically are stolen pets or strays from urban residential areas. These stolen cats are shipped to Guangdong and Guangxi because the other dog meat markets (Central China and Northeast China) do not sell cat meat.
Nanjing, where the cat shipment was stopped, is a city of some 8.3 million people, with a reputation for progressive animal management practices. It was China’s capital city between 1927-1949 and the site of China’s first animal protection organization (Nanjing Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) created in 1933 with strong support from China’s first lady, Soong Mei-ling (Madame Chiang Kai Shek). In 2010, HSI co-sponsored a “China Dog Ownership Management Symposium” in Nanjing together with Animals Asia and Nanjing Ping An Animal Protection Association and the Nanjing Police Department.
The rescue of so many cats at once from an illicit trade that too few people know about is a great victory for the Chinese animal protection movement. Among other things, it is a strong signal to the authorities that the country’s food processing industry should be placed under closer government supervision, and a wake-up call to Chinese consumers that they have reason to worry about what they might actually consume.
Thank goodness the cats are now safe! Thank you to all of you who are working so hard everyday to rescue these poor helpless cats and dogs.. This is beyond inhumane, it’s plain disgusting what China has been doing to them. Please keep up the good work saving as many as you can. I’m an animal lover. I have 2 cats, one of them is my Fur baby! The other cat is my dad’s buddy. Then I have 3 dogs who all have their very own person in our home!
I am such an animal lover. And the thought of these pets being slaughtered actually makes me sick to my stomach. What is wrong with people who can be so cruel to innocent animals.
These acts will definitely be punished by GOD..hopefully soon.
Meine Freude ist groß ,dass die lieben Menschen die kleinen Lebewesen gerettet haben. Vielen ,Herzlichen Dank dafür. Ich unterstütze mehrere Organisationen die um das Wohl der Tiere kämpfen und sich vielen Gefahren dabei aussetzen müssen. Großes Respekt und Dank dafür!!!!!
I think Hunters should toss there Riffels away it’s not fun seeing wild animals die. Jeovah God gates what they are doing you men should live up too Jeovah s standard. If not then Jeovah God s not in you.
If Presadent thinks he’s shuch a kind man . Why he is not giving more of His Money out too People who rely needs it like Homeless Children People for there Helths food close homes too them then liven on the streets. He needs too give money out not take in money God won’t allow that eat her. He needs too give out more money for Veterns even Disable People Children .
I want to help rescue the cats from china i love my cats I would not hurt them or eat them I am not that person at all I want to hold them and love them as long as I can please rescue as many cats as you can they are getting really really really sick they need your guys help to stay healthy and have a good life span and have family with kids and not being eaten by other people.
Does anyone know where we can adopt them when they are ready? I would be an international adopter from California
Horrible! Inhumane! Cruel! So many people are appalled by countries who slaughter domesticated animals ie cats, dogs, bunnies etc while having the body parts of cows, calfs, pig, sheep, chickens , turkeys, goats etc on their plates between a knife and a fork.
How hypocritical is this? It’s called speciesism. One group of animals deserve life while the others are seeing as nothing more than a bite to eat. There is a complete social disconnect. All forms of slaughter are cruel, violent and unnecessary. The way to show animals that you REALLY are a compassionate, empathetic animal lover, is by leaving them off your plates , out/off of your bodies… and to stop purchasing all products connected to them. 🌱
Go Vegan!
hi my name is Ana i really want a cat so badly i want one is black and one is white and black and one is orange tabby and one is white has blue eyes please pick up these cats are these colors and give them to Ana blue i felt bad for animals i love animals i like to help them i hope you rescue these cats from china thank you for saving my nice cats from slaughter house china i love these cats very much i will take good care of them!!!
You are Absolute heroes. I can’t think you all enough for rescuing the cats as well as the dogs. I’m so grateful they weren’t forgotten about. I certainly wish to donate to the charity as i feel helpless and need to help in any way i can. Anyone that rescues animals from harm are angels in disguise.
Now we need to save future kitties from these awful people:
http://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=Mzg2NTYxMDkwOA==&mid=2247493332&idx=1&sn=b93fd6a164a7c48afee693de9b6a2028&chksm=ce55db27f92252314c62b072f8bdc2362cb139fdfdb0466d87d27575c173565c31f51e27f339#rd
https://apple.news/AVPsYXwW_Q2KIx_xdJyW3LA