Photo: China Rescue Dogs
The long journey of 31 rescue dogs is finally over.
According to a release fromChina Rescue Dogs, the animal welfare nonprofit rescued the canines — 16 golden retrievers and a mix of French bulldogs and pugs — from the dog meat trade in China in April.
The ban, which went into effect in July 2021, was implemented in response to the alarming number of dogs bought from foreign countries that arrived in the U.S. with false rabies vaccination certificates the year prior.
In June,the CDC extended the banthrough January 2023 but also adjusted the ban to allow dogs from restricted countries to enter the U.S. with CDC approval.
China Rescue Dogs
Through working with the CDC and with assistance from other animal lovers, China Rescue Dogs was able to get the 31 rescue dogs they saved from the meat trade into the United States on Sept. 23 after a three-week stay in Vancouver, Canada.
“We could not have accomplished this mission without the help of David MacNeil, the CEO of WeatherTech, Nordstrom, Dog is My CoPilot, and all our supporters. Dog is MyCoPilot is a nonprofit that saves dogs from high-kill shelters. The flight from Canada into the U.S. was their first international transport,” Jill Stewart, the founder of China Rescue Dogs, shared in a statement to PEOPLE.
“This truly was a global effort with teams from China, Canada, and the United States all coming together to save these dogs from slaughter,” she added.
All of the dogs are set to be adopted with help from 10 U.S. rescue organizations.
“To know these dogs now have a second chance at life and will experience love for the first time makes all the time spent on a project like this worthwhile,” Brandy Cherven, the vice president of China Rescue Dogs, said. “They were being sent to the slaughterhouse when we stepped in and saved them.”
To learn more about China Rescue Dogs' efforts and how you can help — including how to adopt a newly rescued canine —visit their website.
source: people.com
