More than 1,000 dogs destined for the controversial Yulin dog meat festival have been rescued after being found packed into a truck heading for a slaughterhouse.
The dogs – and cats – were rescued by Humane Society International (HSI) on Tuesday after they discovered the animals cramped in small cages in the truck.
HSI activists said the truck had been travelling from the southern Gansu province of China, an area which is associated with dog theft, and was intercepted in Guangzhou after travelling 1,948km, according to the Metro.
Apparently, the poor dogs and cats were starving and ‘wailing in distress’ – and ‘at least 30’ of them were believed to have died from suffocation.
People at the scene said the lorry driver provided fake papers and said he was unable to provide proof of purchase of the animals – which were believed to have been snatched from the street, or stolen.
Chinese authorities are now investigating the legality of the shipment – which includes inspecting the source of the animals, and the conditions they were transported in.
The animals were freed from their cages and sent to rescue shelters.
Hopefully they’ll now live happier lives.
