Recent world events have dominated the news, and we have all been devastated seeing the struggle of animal rescues trying to get dogs safely out of Afghanistan. We know how hard it has been for groups like Nowzad, Kabul Small Animal and many more. We share their sadness to know that many poor victims who have run for their lives have been forced to leave pets behind.
The Afghan rescuers’ plight echoes our struggles in Asia. The pandemic has led to so many abandoned dogs and cats and them ending up in the dog and cat meat markets or starving to death. We also know first-hand, like when we struggled to bring our dogs back to Beijing from Yulin, what it is like to cross checkpoints where dogs can be killed on a whim.
Afghanistan is in crisis and has faced the most terrible wars. The dogs and cats in Asia face a war against them we have to wage constantly.
What has shocked us, though, is seeing some of the reactions of people from the West. They think it is normal to leave animals behind to starve to death or be brutalised. We have seen that even when rescues raise money to bring dogs to safety, there is public outcry saying ‘ they are just animals.’
With our years of work facing arrests, country brutality, economic hardship and emotional strain, dogs and cats are not ‘ just animals’ All sentient beings have a right to life.
Many people ask us also why are we flying our dogs to new homes. The answer is simple. We have little choice. We are not rescuing to order like many groups you see or focus on specific breeds, but our shelters are full. We currently have over 500 dogs and cats. Some have been with us for more than five years. It is impossible to rehome a dog over 35cm in China. That’s the law. Many dogs have ongoing health issues, and others are elderly and need special care.
The weather conditions are also so harsh. It is boiling in the summer and freezing in winter. This makes care in a shelter with meagre conditions and little staff hard.
Every single month is a struggle for us to feed the cats and dogs we have.
It’s been over a year since our dogs can come to Europe. Yet, we continue to vaccinate them, do their blood work and get them ready for new homes.
We are also watching what happens with Kabul and the USA. If rescue dogs are allowed back in, we hope the States will reverse its decision to restrict dogs coming in from certain countries.
We now have a training programme for our dogs to help people with PTSD and emotional trauma, and we are counting on you to help us get them sponsors and find them homes.
In the meantime, let’s keep speaking out for our furry friends. And let the world know they can not be just discarded however bad things get. #NoToDogMeat #NoActionTooSmall
Can you help us fundraise? We have spaces in the 2021 Virgin Marathon. We have confirmed our leading runner. Ash will be in the primary race, but you can still run it for us virtually. Join our Team
What does that mean? You get 24 hours to complete the race anywhere you live, and you can run in a tag team or with your dog. The race will be featured widely in the press so everyone will know you are running for the dogs.
All runners get one of our shirts as well as an official Marathon shirt and medal. It is a great way to make a difference. If you can not run you can still walk the race with your dogs or some friends.
Please spread the word and sign up.
We need your help.
Your call to action—Run4TheDogs
Read what our runners did last year
Categories: rescue
NoToDogMeat Blog 
Leave a Reply