Supported by a UK disabled dog charity, they’re heading to Harbin in the country’s north-east to support a shelter caring for the poorly pooches
Hero British vets are flying to China on a special mission to help injured pups saved from the dog meat trade.
Supported by a UK disabled dog charity, they’re heading to Harbin in the country’s north-east to support a shelter caring for the poorly pooches. Surrey-based orthopaedic vets Vanessa Waite and Calum Marshall will share medical skills with volunteers on the ground and hope to bring at least 10 pooches back here for treatment.
Last night Cassie Carney of charity Broken Biscuits, facilitating the trip, said: “This isn’t about swooping in to ‘fix’ anything – it’s about standing shoulder to shoulder with Hayley and her team who already give everything.
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“Orthopaedic treatment for disabled dogs is non-existent in China, and the situations these dogs have come from are so horrific. If we can reduce even a fraction of the load the shelter carries, that will be a help.”
Her partner Tim Giles, who is accompanying the vets to the region, added: “This mission is about giving those dogs a real future – and also sharing our vets’ knowledge so that many more dogs can be helped long after we leave.”
The team will work with Harbin SHS Animal Rescue, run by Irish rescuer Hayley, who saves dogs destined for slaughter and gives them sanctuary and medical care. Many of the animals arrive unable to walk due to untreated fractures, joint damage and spinal injuries after years of neglect.
As well as sharing vet skills, the team will donate 20 doggy wheelchairs. The most seriously injured will return to the UK for treatment before being rehomed by Broken Biscuits. They’ll include miniature Poodle Pickle, who has no mobility, and paraplegic golden lab, Summer.
Dr Waite of The Vet Station in Molesey, Surrey, where vets Vanessa and Calum work, said: “These dogs are living with injuries that would normally be treatable if they had access to specialist care. “By working alongside the shelter team and sharing orthopaedic techniques, we hope to transform outcomes for many animals.”
Some 10 million dogs and 4 million cats are killed each year in China for human consumption. Much of China’s dog meat trade is linked to criminal activity, including pet theft and strays abducted from the streets.
Others are transported across provincial borders without legally required vaccination and health certificates. On their journey to slaughterhouses, dogs and cats are crammed into wire cages and transported for hours or days, with many suffering from dehydration, injuries, suffocation and heatstroke, with some even dying before arrival.
