World Protection for Dogs and Cats in the Meat Trade is a UK charity that has been set up to prevent and suppress cruelty to dogs and cats.
We recently held an online fundraiser to help save dogs from the Yulin dog meat festival and provide emergency care. The money raised purchased we have been told including by a leading animal expert that this money saved 500 dogs and 100 cats. Last week our trustees travelled to China to meet the rescuer and above all meet the dogs and cats that have been saved by this person. The welfare of the animals being at all times our priority.
Since we work on the ground with local activists, vets and shelters we were welcomed by various known groups who came with us to visit all the shelters including those which have never been in the press and ones in secret locations. They immediately wanted to help and have direct access to food and medical care at very cost effective rates. They also have a large network of caring volunteers who work on the front lines. We were keen as you are all am sure to:
(a) meet and photograph these 500 dogs and 100 cats in order to check their welfare and ensure donors money had been well spent to date on their care. We wanted to give immediate assistance as we did in the camps we later visited to their needs and the team with us had brought supplies and vaccinations.
(b) under the guidance of a leading animal welfare organisation working on the ground we were able to obtain the information we needed to produce a report (as required by the charity commission) and to immediate plans in motion to secure the welfare of these 500 dogs and 100 cats. They were also able to advise us on the different animals that have come from the recent truck rescues.
All the local shelters and activists who have a large number of volunteers were keen and are still keen to help.
We sincerely wished to visit the 3000 dogs the newspaper had told us were in this rescuers care and find out how we could tangibly help and get others to help. Again our findings were witnessed by local welfare groups who also took us to their own shelters and they discussed with us what they are Chinese volunteers could do.
It really warmed our hearts to know how Chinese people that really care about animals wish to work together and have risk their lives to save them.
We are currently in communication through these on the ground rescue groups with the person in question and the local groups will be going back on a regular basis to keep us updated and continue with their help.
Sadly Facebook and Twitter is banned in China and does not represent a reliable means of communication. When we return we hope many of you will join us so you can also meet these 500 dogs and 100 cats.
We have many stories also to share from the front line having met the rescuers from 306,809,816 rescues.
Thankyou for caring
Please contact our charity directly. We will be holding also a full press conference.
0207 873 2250
Julia De Cadenet 