Rescuing dogs from China meat trade

NEW YORK (PIX11) — Consuming dogs for food in this day and age would strike one as being barbaric, but there remain a few cultures in the world where dogs are considered a delicacy.

In China, South Korea, and Vietnam, it’s been a tradition for hundreds of years.

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It’s estimated that in China alone, some ten million dogs a year are slaughtered for food and sold at dog meat markets.

Animal rights groups have been attempting to end the practice and are engaged in dog rescue missions.

PIX11 News was at an animal care facility at Kennedy Airport when a small group of dogs arrived from Beijing after being saved from the meat market.

Two -year-old Bucky savors the love given him by Monica Olko. She adopted the Labradoodle last November, saving him from being slaughtered for food in China, where dog meat markets have flourished for thousands of years.

Olko hugs and kisses Bucky and declares, “He’s very grateful when I look in his eyes, he’s saying thank you so much for rescuing me.”

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Bucky is one of dozens of dogs being rescued by Hope 4 Fur China Dog Rescue, a non-profit that hopes to rescue 100 dogs this year.

Vivi Zhou, who founded the dog rescue operation, has succeeded in rescuing 39 dogs so far. She says, “We save them from dog meat, and we provide medical care until we find a home for them. We transfer them here and find a perfect match. Animals are very fragile dogs and cannot talk, so we are their voices. We hope people realize rescuing animals is very Important.”

“Could you imagine someone killing this for food?” asks Andy Sabin as he cuddles a Cocker Spaniel. He exclaims, “I love this dog.”

Philanthropist Sabin and his family Andrew Sabin foundation have shelled out more than $100,000 dollars so far to save the dogs and fly them to the United States. It all began when Vivi Zhou’s mother in China saw a truckload of dogs arriving at a meat market.

Sabin explains, “A truck pulls up with 39 dogs. She asked how much the dogs were. He said $2 dollars a pound. We spent a thousand dollars and bought all 39 dogs. Not only did he underwrite the mission, but Sabin also adopted one of the dogs, a St Bernard he’s named Buddha.

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Sabin gets emotional when we ask why he’s the benefactor in the effort to save dogs. “Why? Because it makes me feel good to know that I saved an animal from being eaten. I saved another living organism. You’re going to make me cry,” as he dabs a tear.

“She’s an angel, she saved my life,” asserts Zhou. The founder of the rescue mission claims she was inspired to launch her mission after she bonded with her mini poodle Mocha.  “She helped me get through my hardest time. I was an alcoholic before, and right now I have been sober for three years.”

And Bucky has brought joy to Monica Olko’s Sag Harbor home. “We’re very happy to have new energy in our home. He loves us, and we love him. He rescued us; we didn’t rescue him. He’s a great dog,” she says with a glowing smile.

Once vaccinated and cleared from the airport animal facility, the three Cocker Spaniels and two Welsh Corgis are transferred to the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons and placed into a van for the trip to the shelter in Easthampton.

Kim Nichols, Executive Director of the Animal Rescue Fund, explains, “They come to us and go into quarantine, and they’re fully vetted so we know their personalities and so we can find just the right home for them.”

These would-be victims of the Chinese meat trade are now enjoying a renewed lease on life. Hope For 4 Fur Dog Rescue recognizes it can’t save them all, but its goal really is to change the attitude of people about using these beautiful animals as a source for food.

To learn more about the dog rescue mission, you can send an email to info@hope4Fur.com or click here.

To learn more about adopting a dog, you can reach kim@arfhamptons.org.

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