Two dogs rescued from the Chinese meat trade have arrived at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris on their way to their new home in the UK.
London-based charity No To Dog Meat, founded in 2009 when founder Julia de Cadenet saw firsthand the horrors of the trade, rescued the two dogs.
They faced certain death at the hands of dog meat butchers at the infamous Yulin Dog Meat Festival.
The annual event, which began around 2010, sees dogs and cats – which are often stolen pets – brutally tortured and killed in the streets before being made into food for food stalls and restaurants.
An estimated 10,000 dogs and 5,000 cats are killed and eaten during the 10-day festival. The event will take place later this month.
Debbie is one of two dogs who have just arrived in Europe after being rescued by No To Dog Meat in China. Here she is pictured not long after being rescued by charity
Pomeranian mix Debbie and Samoyed Delphi are among the many dogs saved from slaughter in Yulin by No To Dog Meat.
NoToDogMeatwhich was the first organization to bring global attention to this problem of animal cruelty, has special consultative status with the United Nations regarding the trade.
The charity is currently seeking homes in the UK for more than 750 dogs currently living in shelters in Hebei and Beijing.
Traveling west is often the best option for the dogs, according to the charity.
It explained that regional rules on dog size and a lack of interest in adopting pets otherwise put the animals at risk of ending up back on the streets to be picked up by meat trade opportunists.
Charity founder Julia de Cadenet said: ‘We are so happy that Debbie and Delphi are finally getting the happy life they deserve.
“We shed a lot of tears in our shelter in Beijing because volunteers love this couple so much, but everyone knows they won the lottery by traveling.”
She added that Debbie and Delphi have been waiting to come to the UK before the pandemic, “so they deserve this more than ever.”
The dog, who met certain death at the hands of Chinese butchers, now looks much healthier and happier
The animals were accompanied by an attendant on the plane for the 13-hour flight from Beijing airport, rather than carrying cargo.
Speaking about the misconception that the festival is an event with historical and cultural significance, Julia said, “People often mistakenly think that condemning the dog meat trade is an attack on another culture, but the Yulin Dog Meat Festival started in 2009 and is thus hardly a cultural tradition. .’
She added that the charity is committed to continuing its work to save animals from dog meat butchers, and asking people to do so to donate.
She said: “We desperately need the public’s help to save more dogs like Debbie and Delphi, and to continue our lobbying efforts to end this cruel trade once and for all.”
Delphi (pictured at Charles De Gaulles Airport in Paris) is on her way to her new home in the UK after being rescued from the dog meat trade
The charity adds that in Yulin, dogs are tortured in front of crowds before being killed or boiled alive to make stews and soups.
It is estimated that 10 to 15 million dogs are eaten annually in China alone – some figures say 50,000 per day and 4 to 5 million cats.
However, polls show that the majority of Chinese people do not support the dog and cat meat trade.
In addition, about 72 percent of Yulin residents say they do not regularly eat dog meat, despite efforts by traders to promote it.
Thanks to the work of international organizations such as NoToDogMeat and Chinese organizations and activists, progress has been made in efforts to end the brutal trade.