Issue Type: Dog Meat Trade

Campaigners saved 50+ terrified dogs from his slaughterhouse; dogs to be available for adoption in Canada

Humane Society International

Ekky Bogor/AP Images for HSI Lola Webber hugs the dog once more to show what kind of treatment that it deserve as a living being.

CENTRAL JAVA, Indonesia—A dog slaughterhouse owner in Sukoharjo, Indonesia who bought and killed thousands of dogs every year for human consumption has been sentenced to 12 months in jail and a fine of 150 million Rupiah ($10,000 USD). More than 50 terrified dogs were rescued during a police interception at his property last year, and were cared for by campaigners from the Dog Meat Free Indonesia (DMFI) coalition. The dogs had been trafficked from West Java on a grueling 365-mile journey, tied up in sacks and many had their muzzles bound shut. DMFI member groups Humane Society International and Jakarta Animal Aid Network are preparing to fly the dogs to Canada to seek adoption and help them put the trauma of Indonesia’s dog meat trade behind them.

Suseno, the slaughterhouse owner, was found guilty of breaking Law 18 of 2009 chapter 89 regarding animal health and husbandry. The trade within which he operated sees pet and roaming dogs stolen from the streets in West Java to meet demand in dog meat eating hotspots in Central Java. One such hotspot is the city of Solo, the birthplace of Indonesia’s president Joko Widodo, where an estimated 13,700 dogs are killed for meat every month. Across Indonesia, an estimated one million dogs are killed annually. The DMFI coalition is calling for a national ban on the brutal trade.

This marks the country’s third conviction of a dog meat trafficker since the national government’s declaration in 2018 that “dogs are not food.” The Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition applauds the Sukoharjo police for pursuing the case but says only a nationwide ban and zero-tolerance enforcement will stamp out the cruelty of this dangerous trade.

Karin Franken of Jakarta Animal Aid Network and national DMFI coordinator, said: “The Sukoharjo police are to be congratulated for not giving up, and using the laws available to them to secure this conviction. But our police forces could be greatly helped in cracking down on this cruelty if only the government introduced an explicit national ban on the dog meat trade. The brutal trafficking and butchering of companion animals is rife in many parts of Indonesia, including president Jokowi’s home city, making a mockery of the government’s public statements that dogs are not food. Criminals like Suseno need to be brought to justice to protect animal welfare and public health from this crime-fueled, disease-spreading and cruel trade.”

Bali-based Lola Webber, Humane Society International’s director of campaigns to End Dog Meat, was at the police interception to help rescue the 50+ dogs. Webber recalls: “Seeing the terrified and traumatized faces of those dogs huddled together in the back of the truck is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life. They were skin and bone, dehydrated, weak and bewildered. But at the Dog Meat Free Indonesia shelter we’ve been able to heal their fragile bodies and give them the love and care they deserve. Soon, we will fly them to Canada where they will be available for families to adopt them into loving homes. It’s very satisfying knowing that the man who caused them so much suffering is going to prison, but many more dogs will continue to suffer until a definitive law is in place.”

Nationwide opinion polls show that only a small minority of Indonesians (4.5%) ever consume dog meat, and 93% of all Indonesians support a ban. Despite this, over one million dogs are still stolen, trafficked, slaughtered and sold for human consumption every year across Indonesia, jeopardizing anti-rabies efforts and representing a substantial public health threat. Rabies is endemic across most of Indonesia, with only eight provinces holding rabies-free status. With dogs being routinely stolen from rabies positive areas and trafficked into rabies-free areas, the dog meat trade actively undermines attempts to control the deadly disease.

Dog meat trade facts:

  • Dog theft for the meat trade is a serious problem in Indonesia. Dog Meat Free Indonesia has interviewed many residents who have described their terrifying ordeal with armed traders stealing their pets at night. Despite the obvious law-breaking, thefts are rarely taken seriously by law enforcement, so the thieves often go unpunished.
  • The dog meat trade in banned in 17 cities and regencies across Indonesia: Karanganyar, Sukoharjo, Salatiga city, Malang, Semarang city, Semarang Regency, Blora Regency, Brebes Regency, Purbalingga Regency, Magelang city, Jepara, Blitar city, Mojokerto City, Mojokerto Regency, Temanggung, Magelang Regency and Medan city.
  • Across Asia, opposition to the dog and cat meat trades is increasing, with an ever-growing number of countries and territories (Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand and two major cities in mainland China) banning the trade in and slaughter, sale and consumption of dogs. In September 2021, South Korea’s then President Moon Jae-in suggested it could be time to consider a dog meat ban, and a government-initiated task force is currently considering the issue. President Yoon Suk-yeol has stated he would not oppose a dog meat ban provided there is social consensus.
  • The Dog Meat Free Indonesia campaign comprises local campaigners Jakarta Animal Aid Network and Animals Friends Jogja, and international groups Humane Society International, Four Paws and Animals Asia.
  • The rescue of dogs at the Sukoharjo interception was conducted under COVID-19 health and safety restrictions, and a veterinarian was on site throughout. At the DMFI shelter the dogs received rabies, DHPP, coronavirus, distemper and parvo vaccinations. The dogs also underwent quarantine for at least 30 days, and will be health certified again prior to transport overseas.

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Media Contacts:

  • Lola Webber, Humane Society International’s End Dog Meat campaign director, and Dog Meat Free Indonesia international coordinator; Tel: +6281337408768 E-mail: Lwebber@hsi.org
  • Karin Franken, Jakarta Animal Aid Network Founder, and  national coordinator Dog Meat Free Indonesia Coalition Tel: +6282122487794 E-mail: jaan_adopt@yahoo.com

West Hollywood gallery show opens as South Korea considers banning the cruel industry

Humane Society International / United States

Wilf, dog meat trade survivor
Sophie Gamand

As the South Korean government ponders a possible ban on the country’s dog meat industry, the remarkable resilience of some of the lucky canine survivors of that trade who now live in adoptive families in the United States, feature in a stunning new portrait series by award-winning photographer, Sophie Gamand. Gamand’s Survivors of the Dog Meat Trade portraits appear for a limited showing at the Hamilton-Selway Fine Art gallery in West Hollywood. The portraits feature a handful of the more than 2,500 dogs rescued by Humane Society International from South Korean dog meat farms.

Sophie Gamand is famous for her Pit Bull Flower Power Project that single-handedly transformed the image of much maligned pit bulls languishing in shelters across the U.S. When Humane Society International asked her to apply that same magic to help lift the fortunes of  dogs who are intensively bred on factory farms for human consumption in South Korea, she jumped at the chance to once again use photography to change lives. This time the beneficiaries are the more than one million dogs who HSI estimates are on dog meat farms in South Korea.

Gamand says: “Through this series I want people to see these dogs for the strong and beautiful beings that they are. I created handmade collars for these survivors because dog collars are a powerful symbol of love, commitment and care. Joining Humane Society International on one of its dog meat farm rescue missions opened my eyes to both the disturbing conditions in which these dogs live, and the resilience they constantly show.”

Humane Society International has been on the ground in South Korea since 2015, working in partnership with farmers eager to exit the controversial and dying business. Dogs are typically bred in row upon row of barren cages on dilapidated farms, bitterly cold in winter and stiflingly hot in Korea’s punishing summer. Dogs are denied proper food and water and often have only harsh metal wire mesh floor to sleep on, causing painful pressure sores. Like most people across Asia, the vast majority of South Koreans don’t eat dog meat, and many of the farmers with whom HSI works talk of family and societal pressure to get out of what is increasingly seen by Koreans as an unacceptable livelihood. HSI’s Models for Change program helps these farmers transition to more humane and sustainable livelihoods such as chili or water parsley growing.

The canine stars of Gamand’s portraits include Luna and Moon, who both now live in the Washington D.C. area and Ruby, who now resides in Las Vegas. Each dog is adorned with an intricate and glamorous collar created personally by Gamand to help rebrand these dogs, who are too often wrongly presented as soulless and vicious by the industry that exploits them, within South Korea.

One of the dogs featured is Birdie, a Jindo/Labrador mix who was rescued by HSI in 2018 and adopted by Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy. Another is Juliette, rescued by HSI in 2020 and subsequently adopted by The Wheel of Time actor Daniel Henney.

Henney says: “I’m immensely proud that my dog Juliette is one of the dog meat trade survivors featured in Sophie Gamand’s portrait project for Humane Society International. I hope to see an end, a complete end, to the dog meat trade in South Korea. I think it’s not a matter of if, but when it will happen.”

Golden retriever Chewbacca is also among the portraits, who now lives in Virginia with adopter and Humane Society International president Jeffrey Flocken, who says: “HSI’s campaign is focused on ending the dog meat industry in South Korea, the only country in the world that intensively farms dogs for consumption, and we’re making incredible progress. The real goal is to get a ban passed that will end this industry forever so that no more dogs have to suffer. And, on a personal note, this campaign means a lot to me because it brought me and my family Chewbacca, who was rescued from HSI’s fifteenth dog meat farm closure, and is now a beloved member of our family.”

A dog meat ban is currently being considered by an official task force initiated last year by the South Korean government after the then President Moon Jae-in suggested the time is right to consider a ban.

Newly elected President Yoon Seok-yeol, who has four dogs including Tori a rescued Jindo—a breed typically found on dog meat farms—confirmed his support for a ban on dog meat during the presidential election campaign, provided there is social consensus.

More information can be found at https://www.hsi.org/sophie-gamand-dog-meat-survivors/.

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Media contact: Madeline Bove: mbove@humanesociety.org; 213-248-1548

Yulin authorities urged to ban Summer solstice dog meat event to protect public health and animal welfare

Humane Society International

Vshine

Chinese animal activists intervened to save the life of the last dog found alive at a dog meat shop in Yulin, Guangxi province, a month before the city’s summer solstice dog meat eating gets underway. The dog, named Lucky by his rescuers, was found chained up outside the shop, with a dog meat for sale sign in front of him. The Akita was the last dog of the day due scheduled for slaughter before the activists persuaded the shop keeper to give him up. There were obvious signs he had once been a pet dog and had therefore likely been stolen by dog thieves.

In light of China’s COVID-19 precautions, Chinese animal activists are urging Yulin authorities to ban the city’s annual June gathering for the so-called “Lychee and dog meat festival” for which the slaughter of dogs and cats for consumption increases. Launched in 2010 by dog meat traders to boost flagging sales, the event starts on June 21st and can attract thousands of visitors from across the province in southern China, who gather to eat dog meat stew and crispy dog meat at the city’s restaurants and stalls. Activists are appealing to local authorities to stop the mass public gathering from going ahead, to protect public health and animal welfare.

Liang Jia, a Guangxi activist, said: “The streets of Yulin are relatively quiet right now, and although you can see a few dog meat shops, stalls and dog slaughterhouses like normal, it’s nothing compared to how it will look in mid-June. While elsewhere in China, cities are in COVID-19 lockdown, it makes no sense for Yulin dog meat traders to be allowed to encourage visitors to travel across the province and into the city. As well as the appalling animal cruelty that will take place with thousands of dogs and cats bludgeoned to death, it’s an obvious public health risk. The Yulin authorities should be taking this seriously because it would be hugely embarrassing for the Yulin dog meat festival to become a super-spreader event.”

Most people in China don’t eat dogs, and even in Yulin, polls show that most citizens (72%) don’t regularly eat dog despite efforts by dog meat traders to promote it. Nationwide, there is significant Chinese opposition to the dog meat trade as concern for animal welfare grows. In 2020, China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs made an official statement that dogs are companion animals and not “livestock” for eating. That same year, two major cities in mainland China – Shenzhen and Zhuhai – banned the consumption of dog and cat meat, a decision polling showed was supported by nearly 75% of Chinese citizens.

Dr Peter Li, China policy specialist for Humane Society International which supports the care of dogs rescued from China’s meat trade, said: “Lucky had a narrow escape because only one blowtorched dog carcass was left on sale at the shop, meaning he would have been next. But Lucky is just one of millions of dogs who suffer at the hands of dog traders across China, and one of thousands who end up in Yulin for the summer solstice event. His rescuers say he was super friendly, used to walking on a leash and happily jumped into the back of the activists’ car without hesitation, so it seems clear that he was once someone’s pet, and indeed many of the dogs killed for meat are pets stolen from back yards, outside shops and even from cars. COVID-19 precautions add another compelling reason to crack down on dog trade gatherings like this, in addition to the brutal cruelty and criminal activity.”

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Media Contacts: 

  • United Kingdom: Wendy Higgins, HSI director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org

Humane Society International / China

Urge China to end the animal welfare and public health nightmare of Yulin’s dog and cat meat trade

Portraits include dogs adopted by actor Daniel Henney and Olympic medalist Gus Kenworthy

Humane Society International / United States

Jordan Strauss/AP Images for The HSUS and HSI

Celebrities including Daniel Henney, Monica Lewinsky and Joely Fisher joined Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States in Los Angeles for an exclusive debut of a stunning portrait collection by award-winning photographer Sophie Gamand, of dogs rescued by HSI from South Korea’s dog meat trade.

The launch of dog portraits—including Juliette, adopted by Wheel of Time actor Daniel Henney, and Birdie, adopted by Olympic medalist Gus Kenworthy—took place at a private cocktail party hosted at the Hollywood Hills residence of film producer James Costa. Guests enjoyed cocktails and plant-based hors d’oeuvres while enjoying an early peek at a specially curated gallery of Sophie’s captivating portraits.

The collaboration between global animal advocates Humane Society International and award-winning photographer Sophie Gamand—whose photo series Pit Bull Flower Power was instrumental in transforming the public image of pit bulls seeking adoption at U.S. shelters—evolved as part of HSI’s work in South Korea to end the brutal dog meat industry. It is estimated that more than one million dogs a year in South Korea are intensively bred for human consumption. Despite increasing Korean opposition to dog eating, unfounded negative perceptions persist of ‘dog meat dogs’ as soulless and vicious. HSI invited Sophie to help showcase the resilience, beauty and individuality of these dogs, rebranding them as the true survivors that they are, having been rescued by HSI to become part of loving families in the United States.

During this inspiring evening, guests were introduced to HSI’s Models for Change program in which the organization works cooperatively with dog meat farmers to help them close their farms and transition to more humane and sustainable livelihoods such as chili plant or parsley growing. They also heard from Sophie about her experience joining HSI on one of HSI’s dog meat farm rescue missions, and the emotional impact of seeing the dogs in such desperate circumstances.

The Dog Meat Survivors portrait collection will be available for public view at Hamilton-Selway Fine Art, 8678 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, California. The ten-day exhibit opens on Thursday, June 2.

“From the moment the team at Humane Society International and I started discussing ideas for this series, I knew I wanted people to see these dogs for the resilient, strong, beautiful beings that they are. I created handmade collars for these survivors, because dog collars are a powerful symbol of love, commitment and care,” said Gamand.

“HSI’s campaign is focused on ending the dog meat industry in South Korea, the only country in the world that intensively farms dogs for consumption, and we’re making incredible progress. The real goal is to get a ban passed that will end this industry forever so that no more dogs have to suffer,” Jeff Flocken, president of Humane Society International.

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Media Contact: Madeline Bove: 213-248-1548; mbove@humanesociety.org

Humane Society International / Indonesia

It’s time for the Indonesian government to close dog and cat meat markets, enforce the law and put an end to these cruel trades.

Humane Society International/Korea says taskforce is vital to “close this miserable chapter in South Korea’s history”

Humane Society International

Jean Chung for HSI Dogs are shown locked in a cage at a dog meat farm in Hongseong, South Korea. The operation is part of HSI’s efforts to fight the dog meat trade throughout Asia.

SEOUL—The South Korean government taskforce deliberating a ban on the country’s dog meat industry has announced a delay of two months in publishing its recommendations. Humane Society International/Korea, which has rescued more than 2,500 dogs from South Korea’s dog meat industry, says opinion polls show public support for ending the industry, with nearly 84% of South Koreans not eating dog, and almost 60% favoring a ban.

Lola Webber, Humane Society International’s End Dog Meat campaign director, says: “With more than one million dogs a year needlessly suffering for a meat that hardly anyone eats, and with so many dog farmers struggling to make a living in light of dwindling consumer demand, we hope that the taskforce will deliver a bold plan to close this miserable chapter in South Korea’s history. As a candidate, President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol pledged support for ending dog meat provided there is social consensus, and opinion polls show we’ve reached a tipping point in public opinion, so we hope to see that momentum for change reflected when the taskforce makes its recommendations.”

The taskforce was established last year to assess social consensus after President Moon Jae-in suggested the time is right to consider a ban. President-elect Yoon has three cats and four dogs, including Tori the rescued Jindo, a breed typically found on dog meat farms.

Since 2015, HSI/Korea’s Models for Change program has helped dog farmers in South Korea transition to new, more humane and profitable livelihoods such as chili plant and parsley growing or water truck delivery. Most of the farmers involved experience mounting societal, family and financial pressure to get out of farming dogs. With growing concern for animal welfare, and over six million pet dogs now living in Korean homes, demand for dog meat has dwindled. HSI/Korea has permanently closed 17 dog meat farms and rescued more than 2,500 dogs who find adoptive homes in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom with a small number rehomed in South Korea.

Dog meat facts:

  • Although most people in South Korea don’t eat dog, the belief that dog meat soup will cool the body and build stamina during the hot summer, particularly during Bok Nal season across July and August, still holds with some, especially the older generation.
  • Most dogs slaughtered for meat in South Korea are killed by electrocution although some are also hanged.
  • Dog meat is banned (with varying degrees of enforcement) in Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, India, Thailand and Singapore, as well as the cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai in mainland China and Siem Reap province in Cambodia. In Indonesia, 14 cities, regions or regencies have banned dog meat: Karanganyar, Sukohrajo, Salatiga city, Malang, Semarang city, Semarang Regency, Blora Regency, Brebes Regency, Purbalingga Regency, Magelang city, Jepara, Blitar city, Mojokerto city and Mojokerto Regency. Despite these growing bans, an estimated 30 million dogs a year are still killed for meat across Asia.

Download photos/video of HSI/Korea’s dog meat farm closure program in action.

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Media contact: Wendy Higgins, director international media: whiggins@hsi.org

Humane Society International / Indonesia

Ekky Bogor/AP Images for HSI

CENTRAL JAVA, Indonesia—A dog trafficker in Indonesia involved in the supply and slaughter of dogs for human consumption has been found guilty of breaking the law and sentenced to a record 17 months in jail. Despite a national government declaration that dogs are not considered food in Indonesia, this is only the country’s second conviction of a dog trafficker. Campaigners from the Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition, which includes Humane Society International, hope it signals a new determination by the authorities to crack down on the cruel and dangerous trade.  

The conviction of Guruh Tri Susilo follows a police interception last year of a truck carrying more than 50 terrified dogs as they arrived at a makeshift slaughterhouse in Sukoharjo. The owner of the slaughterhouse is awaiting trial, with a sentence reading expected at the end of April. The dogs had been trafficked from West Java on a grueling 365-mile journey, for which Guruh was found guilty of breaking Law 18 of 2009 chapter 89 regarding animal health and husbandry. The trade within which Guruh worked saw pet and roaming dogs stolen from the streets in West Java to meet demand in dog meat eating hotspots in Central Java. One such hotspot is the city of Solo where DMFI investigations in 2019 revealed that 13,700 dogs are slaughtered for meat each month. 

Campaigners from DMFI, who attended the police interception at the slaughterhouse and took all surviving dogs into their care, welcomed the conviction for sending the strongest signal yet to dog traders across Indonesia that the dog meat business is illegal and will be punished. DMFI has been campaigning for years for a nationwide ban on the dangerous and illegal trade, slaughter and sale of dogs for human consumption.  

Karin Franken, co-founder of Jakarta Animal Aid Network and national DMFI coordinator, said: “The DMFI applauds the authorities for bringing this case against Guruh to send a message to others operating in this illegal trade that they will be found and punished. However, for the law to truly act as a deterrent, we need longer jail times and for that we need a clear, unambiguous and strong nationwide ban on the dog meat trade so that prosecutors and judges can take the strongest possible action. We have raised these concerns with the Ministry of Agriculture and called for the revision of these laws so that people convicted of cases of animal cruelty like this one get the punishment they deserve to reflect the enormous suffering and harm as a result of their actions.” 

Nationwide opinion polls conducted by Nielsen and commissioned by DMFI show that only a small minority of Indonesians (4.5%) ever consume dog meat, and 93% of all Indonesians support a ban. Despite this, over one million dogs are still illegally stolen, trafficked, slaughtered and sold for human consumption every year across Indonesia. Without a nationwide ban, the relevant laws and regulations that can be applied have weak penalties, and enforcement is rare, which enables the traders to continue to operate. DMFI campaigners warn that without stronger action at the local and national level, this cruel, profit-driven trade will continue to jeopardise not only the country’s international reputation, but also the health and safety of the entire country. 

Lola Webber, director of campaigns to end dog meat for Humane Society International, a DMFI member group, said: “Seventeen months in an Indonesian jail is quite rightly going to be an unpleasant experience and it’s a groundbreaking sentence for such a crime in Indonesia. However, it pales into insignificance compared to the horrific brutality meted out to the thousands of dogs who will have died as a result of this trafficker’s actions. Neither does it reflect the enormous public health threat posed by the mass trafficking of dogs of unknown disease and vaccination status, undermining attempts to control rabies which is endemic across most of the country. We know that rabies-positive dogs are being brought into urban centres for this trade, and with so many dogs snatched from one area and trafficked to another hundreds of miles away, those agencies working hard to create vital herd immunity to rabies in local dog populations are fighting a losing battle. Only eight provinces in Indonesia hold rabies-free status, so without immediate and strong action, it is only a matter of time before more provinces face this deadly disease.” 

 In recognition of the grave risks to animal welfare and public health and safety, an ever-growing number of cities and regencies in Central Java have taken the matter into their own hands passing local regulations explicitly prohibiting the dog meat trade throughout their jurisdictions, including Sukoharjo and the Central Javan provincial capital of Semarang. Campaigners hope that this case will shine a light on the dog meat trade and encourage central, provincial, regency and city leaders to take stronger action,  

Dog meat trade facts: 

  • There are widely publicised reports directly linking the dog meat trade to rabies transmission in many parts of Asia where the dog meat trade operates, including Indonesia. Scientific reports have documented rabies-positive dogs being sold and slaughtered in markets in Indonesia, as well as in restaurants and slaughterhouses in China and Viet Nam.   
  • Dog theft for the meat trade is a serious problem in Indonesia. Dog Meat Free Indonesia has interviewed many residents who have described their terrifying ordeal with armed traders stealing their pets at night. Despite the obvious law-breaking, thefts are rarely taken seriously by law enforcement, so the thieves often go unpunished. 
  • Across Asia, opposition to the dog and cat meat trades is increasing, with an ever-growing number of countries and territories (Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand and two major cities in mainland China) banning the trade in and slaughter, sale and consumption of dogs. In September 2021, South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in suggested it could be time to consider a dog meat ban, and a government-initiated task force is currently considering the issue. President Elect Yoon Suk-yeol has also stated he would not oppose a dog meat ban provided there is social consensus.  
  • The Dog Meat Free Indonesia campaign comprises Humane Society International, Animals Asia, FOUR PAWS, Animal Friends Jogja and Jakarta Animal Aid Network. Their campaign has received support from global and Indonesian superstars including a letter to President Joko Widodo in 2018 calling for action to end the country’s dog and cat meat trades signed by Simon Cowell, Sophia Latjuba, Yeslin Wang, Nadia Mulya, Lawrence Enzela, Cameron Diaz, Chelsea Islan, Ellen DeGeneres and Pierce Brosnan. 

Download Photos and Videos of the Police Interception 

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Media Contacts: 

  • Lola Webber, Humane Society International’s End Dog Meat campaign director and Dog Meat Free Indonesia international coordinator: +6281337408768; Lwebber@hsi.org  
  • Karin Franken, national coordinator Dog Meat Free Indonesia Coalition: +6282122487794; jaan_adopt@yahoo.com

Pups starving and dehydrated, some already dead on “truck from hell”

Humane Society International

Vshine

Dalian, CHINA—Chinese animal activists worked through the night with local police in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui to intercept a truck packed with 260 puppies and 22 adult dogs in such appalling conditions that one activist called it a “truck from hell.” The driver of the truck had taken the dogs—all destined to be sold for the meat or pet trade—on a gruelling 1,000 mile journey from Guizhou to Huainan before it was spotted on the highway by local activists. One activist called Teng, an anti-dog meat trade campaign volunteer for Humane Society International and its Chinese partner group, Vshine, quickly responded by alerting the police and coordinating local activists for a rescue effort.  

When Teng reported the suspected illegal transport of live animals, the local police immediately despatched law enforcement officers to intercept the truck, forcing it to pull over on the side of the road. Teng reported that when the truck driver couldn’t provide the required documents to legally transport live animals across provincial borders, the dogs were confiscated into government custody where the activists were allowed to provide emergency care. The adult dogs had been due to be sold to a slaughterhouse for human consumption, while the puppies were intended to be sold as pets, although many were so sick by the time they were rescued they likely would also have ended up at the slaughterhouse.  

Sadly, conditions were so dire that 12 of the puppies had died by the time the truck was intercepted, and a further 18 died soon after from parvovirus and distemper, both highly contagious diseases that cause severe illness and possible death in dogs. Many of the surviving puppies are suffering from dehydration, starvation and skin disease. One puppy in particular was covered in a painful skin condition leading to hair loss. He was in such a pitiful state, he immediately captured Teng’s heart and he offered to adopt him if he survived. The puppy—who he named Apple—was given emergency veterinary treatment but despite best efforts, he sadly passed away.  

Teng said: “My heart sank when I spotted the truck on the highway that night. I knew it was going to be bad because there were so many dogs crammed inside, but I hadn’t expected there to be so many tiny puppies. They were all crying for our attention, covered in their own urine and faeces, and in really bad shape. It was disgusting what they endured, like a truck from hell for those poor dogs. I noticed little Apple right away because he had lost so much fur, and my heart just melted. I wanted to do everything I could to make it up to him so that he could forget his horrible ordeal, but his suffering had just been too much. I dread to think what would have happened to them all, and I’m so sad for all the ones like Apple who didn’t make it.  We are grateful to the Huainan police who acted so swiftly to help save these dogs. We couldn’t have done it without them.” 

The remaining dogs are now safe, receiving veterinary care, nutritious food, water and rest at nearby shelters. Once their quarantine period is over, they will be transported to Vshine’s shelter, which is funded by Humane Society International. The rescue comes just three months ahead of the mass slaughter of dogs and cats in Yulin, and is a timely reminder that suffering and death at the hands of the dog meat traders is the fate of millions of animals across China every year.   

Dr Peter Li, HSI’s China policy specialist said: “This sad story is all too common in China, where hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats every month endure appalling suffering like this in order to make profit for the meat and pet trades. Chinese animal activists regularly alert police when trucks are identified, and in this case the Huainan police were exemplary in how they responded. It is my hope that more law enforcement agencies in China can act in the interests of public safety, public health and animal welfare like the Huainan police. The condition of these dogs was so terrible that it’s likely many more would have died before they reached their intended destination, and sickly puppies would probably have been sold for meat just like the adult dogs. Thank goodness for the Chinese animal activists and police who saved so many lives, and we are proud that that funding HSI provides can make such a difference to animals like this in such desperate circumstances.”  

Facts about China’s dog meat trade: 

  • Most people in China don’t eat dogs, in fact dog meat is only eaten infrequently by a small percentage of the Chinese population. A 2016 survey found that more than half of Chinese citizens (51.7%) think the dog meat trade should be completely banned, and the majority (69.5%) have never eaten dog meat. (Poll conducted by Chinese polling company Horizon, and commissioned by Chinese group China Animal Welfare Association in collaboration with Humane Society International and Avaaz).
  • Even in Yulin (where the so-called dog meat “festival” takes place in June every year), a 2017 survey conducted by Chinese state-registered charities and assisted by research staff from the Yulin Municipal Government, shows that most people (72%) don’t regularly eat dog despite efforts by dog meat traders to promote it.  
  •  In 2020, China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs made an official statement that dogs are companion animals and not “livestock” for eating, and two major cities in mainland China—Shenzhen and Zhuhai—banned the consumption of dog and cat meat.   

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Media contact: Wendy Higgins, director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org 

Humane Society International / Indonesia

Ask the Indonesian government to shut down cruel markets, enforce the law and put an end to the dog and cat meat trades.

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