A group of 31 dogs rescued from meat farms in China have arrived in the United States to start their new lives in American homes, an animal welfare group said Tuesday.
The pack of rescued dogs was the first to arrive in the United States in more than a year, due to a temporary government ban on importing dogs from overseas, triggered by fears of a rabies outbreak , according to the China Rescue Dogs organization.
“Knowing that these dogs now have a second chance at life and will experience love for the first time, makes any time spent on a project like this worthwhile,” said group vice president Brandy Cherven, in a press release. “They were being slaughtered when we intervened and saved them.”
The dogs were rescued in April where the owners planned to sell them to slaughterhouses and the Yulin Dog Meat Festival.
More than 10 dog rescue organizations helped bring the puppies to the United States. They have spent the past three weeks in Vancouver, Canada, awaiting clearance to cross into the United States.
Sixteen of the dogs are Golden Retrievers and 15 are Frenchies and Pugs, the group said. They didn’t give details on what the future holds for the dogs, but the group is working to “provide them with loving homes”, they said on their website.
“This was truly a global effort with teams from China, Canada and the United States coming together to save these dogs from slaughter,” said Jill Stewart, President and Founder of China Rescue Dogs. .
The CDC’s ban on dogs was due to an increased risk of the canine rabies virus variant. During this time, organizations like China Rescue Dogs brought their furry friends to Canada for adoption. Canada’s dog ban – restricting street dogs from more than 100 countries – will come into effect on Wednesday, September 28.