The first ever greyhounds rescued from the dog meat markets in China in Italy
This moving youtube video by Pet Levrieri documents the arrival at Milan airport last night 10th December of King, Prince and Phoebe, the three Chinese greyhounds rescued from the dog meat trade in China and now adopted in Italy.
It was a very long journey due to the severe weather conditions which caused over 3 hours of delays at Amsterdam aiport, where the flight had landed after arriving from Beijing after more than 10 hours in the air and prior to the continuation flight onto Milan – but the dogs and Pet Levrieri team member Samantha Gauchat, who had flown to Beijing to collect them and bring them back to Italy, made it home in the end!
So here is a little about their story:
King and Prince were rescued by Chinese activists from a meat truck full of other dogs being taken to slaughter. Their conditions were very precarious, and despite being used to seeing distressing images and videos from places like Macau, Spain or Argentina, we found it hard to watch the photos and videos documenting their rescue.
Phoebe was bred in China and exploited to exhaustion as a brood bitch, and then sold on to the meat markets, from which she too was luckily rescued.
In China, greyhounds bred in China or imported from Australia or Ireland are exploited into the ground and abused in illegal racing circles, for hunting or for breeding purposes, or used as tourist attractions in places like the Shanghai Wild Animal Park, and when they are no longer profitable they are either killed in horrific ways or sold on to the dog meat trade.
What is happening in China, alongside the Canidrome of Macau and Pakistan, is one of the worst and most horrific aspects of the intrinsic cruelty of the racing industry, still legal and widespread in 8 countries: the USA, Mexico, Australia, the UK, Ireland, Macau (Special Administrative Region of China), New Zealand and Vietnam, with almost 150 racetracks spread around the world.
Prince, King and Phoebe have adoptive families and for them, their arrival last night marked the beginning of a life of love and respect, but many are not so lucky.
Alongside UK rescue Candy Cane Rescue, at Pet Levrieri we are committed to fighting against the exportation of Irish greyhounds from Europe to South-East Asia, to campaigning to spread awareness about the plight of greyhounds in China , to supporting the efforts of local Chinese activists, and to find homes in Italy for more rescued Chinese greyhounds.
Another important worldwide campaign that we are working on is the Save The Macau Greyhounds campaign, led by Anima Macau, Grey2K USA Worldwide and Pet Levrieri, with the support of anti racing groups from around the world, to save the 600 plus greyhounds at the Canidrome, the worst track in the world, which is due to close by the 21st July 2018.
For ways in which you can help, please follow https://www.facebook.com/savethemacaugreyhounds
In the first part of the video, made by PL associate member Lorenzo Cipriani, the Pet Levrieri welcoming committee (who had been there for many hours due to the delay caused by snow in Amsterdam) anxiously wait at the gate, and then the wonderful moment arrives when the 3 dogs finally disembark. Enjoy!
