The World Celebrates As Chinese Officers Rescue 500 Cats From Certain Death
Chinese police officers have rescued more than 500 cats from a grim trafficking operation, and the story has sparked outrage, relief, and a lot of attention online. What started as a tip about stolen strays quickly turned into a major animal rescue in a village near Jiujiang, where cats were being kept in filthy cages and prepared for sale. Many of the animals were in poor health, and officers found even more cats hidden in a small hut near the main road.
Now the rescue is being celebrated far beyond China, and the fallout from the case is still unfolding.
So, how did the heroic rescue unfold?
Chinese police officers received a tip about a man named Sun who was collecting and caging stray cats, as well as stealing people's pets from the surrounding community. Sun intended to sell the cats to restaurants, where they would be served as the main course of high-class meals.
Nearly 550 innocent cats were being held captive in filthy cages in a village near the city of Jiujiang. After the local police officers arrested Sun, they also discovered another small hut near the main road of the village, where even more cats were being held in perilous conditions.
Virtually all of the cats were either strays that had been picked up along the way or stolen pets, and sadly, almost every single cat was in poor health due to the conditions in which they were being held. A Chinese news website, 163.com, reported on the incident.
It’s a darker twist on the tatted Sphynx held in a Mexican prison after gang members’ New Year break.
When the story broke about Sun's arrest and the rescue of over 500 cats from certain death, it was also reported on a Chinese news website, 163.com, that 'Sun was indeed guilty of such trading and was making a lucrative business out of this, getting $4.40 for each cat.' Unfortunately, this is not the only time Chinese food-related traditions have made headlines lately, causing controversy. Not long ago, a 'Dog Eating Festival' was a story being shared all over the world in an attempt to end the equally horrific practice. Similar to the situation with provinces eating cats, the communities involved justify their choices with nothing more than 'tradition.'
Thankfully, the authorities and Chinese officials have decided that these practices, which shock and horrify the rest of the world, are a nuisance, constitute animal cruelty, and need to be stopped. Unfortunately, the people in these provinces are stubborn and will not give up their beloved traditions so easily, regardless of how hard the local authorities are working to end it.
Presently, a worldwide petition is circulating the Internet in a socially aggressive attempt to put an end to the practice everywhere. However, among all the Asian countries that still have provinces practicing these traditions, only one community in Taiwan seems to be responding enthusiastically to the call to end these cruel practices.
As empathetic people who love animals everywhere clamor to see an end to the unnecessary and cruel consumption of beloved animals such as cats and dogs, we can only hope that the end is truly near, and perhaps next year we will be able to tell you all that it is officially a thing of the past.
After Sun’s cages, see how a stray cat escaped death’s door and found a forever home.
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