The action by Chongqing Small Animal Protection Centre and volunteers to stop a truck transporting hundreds of dogs to their deaths in the markets of south China has been a success.

The temporary confiscation of the dogs by the local Public Security Bureau and the Animal Quarantine Department while an investigation was underway, is now permanent and dogs are being transferred to a temporary shelter by Chongqing Small Animal Protection Centre.

The local PSB, the Animal Quarantine Bureau and the media helped significantly with this successful rescue of what turned out to be over one thousand dogs – the total number on the truck was 1,132 – and this time, no compensation was paid to the trader.

The Animal Quarantine Bureau agreed to give all the dogs to Chongqing Small Animal Center and promised to investigate the issuance of the quarantine certificate as it did not relate to the number of dogs, none of the dogs were marked as being vaccinated, and with so many sick and some already dead, they could not have been vaccinated in accordance with local regulations, rendering the certificate illegal. Volunteers are also contacting related government departments to appeal for an investigation into the trader and the office that issued the certificate.

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Sunday 15 January 2012: Another truck, with cage after cage of sick and injured dogs piled on top of each other, has been stopped in Sichuan Province in South West China. Chong Qing Small Animal Protection Center and local volunteers intercepted the truck with about 800 dogs on the highway near Chonquin on Sunday night as it was on its way to Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province. 

Chongqing Public Security Bureau and Animal Quarantine Department stepped in to assist and although the dog trader showed an Animal Quarantine Certificate signed by Tong Liang County, Chonqing City, it was very clear that many of the dogs are sick and injured. Many are also pedigree, again giving credence to the suspicion that thousands of these dogs are stolen. 

The government has suspended the transfer to of the dogs and sent them to a government dog shelter while they investigate. A final decision on the fate of the dogs will then be made. 

The dog trader produced a quarantine certificate to clear the dogs for transport and slaughter as food, but many already appear ill and diseased.

We will update this story as more news becomes available. 

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