Dogs saved from Chinese meat trade on way to Miami

MIAMI, Fla. – Five dogs will arrive after a 50-hour journey from Beijing to Miami International Airport on Saturday saved from slaughter as part of the Chinese meat trade.

According to the Good Karma Pet Rescue of South Florida, the dogs, including a paralyzed poodle, will be spared from being part of the 10 million dogs per year killed for human consumption in China and Asian countries.

Because of travel restrictions in place, the dogs are being flown as cargo on an unchaperoned flight, a costly transport, and one that the pet rescue said said was offset by fundraising and donating sponsors.

Two of those sponsors, including Ray and Jennifer Huizenga, will be meeting the dogs at the airport.

Dogs that end up being part of the Chinese meat trade have either been sold by their owners, stolen, or homeless, some are raised specifically to be used for meat or discarded by breeders and racing facilities when they are no longer useful as moneymakers, according to GKPR.

The pet rescue said that local volunteers in China work to save as many dogs as possible, even offering money to “buy back” the lives of the pets.

“Thankfully, China’s meat trade is a dying tradition so when this generation is gone, we hope this barbaric custom will be, too,” Deven Soto, the director of GKPR, said. “Until then, all we can do is save as many as we can and work to raise awareness.”

After their arrival in Miami, the dogs will be check out by a veterinarian at Good Karma, 3601 W. Commercial Boulevard.

They will then be transported to the homes of volunteers. Eventually, the dogs will be available for adoption.