We are excited to announce a milestone in our journey to end the dog and cat meat trade: a groundbreaking partnership with Paws of China. This collaboration promises to revolutionize our efforts, focusing on the overlooked cats of the Yulin Dog Meat Festival, a heartbreaking event that sees countless animals suffer silently in the shadows.

The Landscape of Jilin

Nestled in the province of Jilin, far from the menacing aura of immense dog slaughterhouses and live animal markets, is Paws of China's state-of-the-art rescue facility. Purpose-built and equipped to provide sanctuary to up to 500 innocent lives, this facility stands as a beacon of hope against the dark backdrop of the annual Yulin dog and cat meat festival.

The Forgotten Felines of Yulin

While many are aware of the dog meat trade, it's also the cats who suffer in silence. The Yulin Festival's horrors do not discriminate between species. Dogs may be the primary victims, but a significant number of cats also face equally harrowing fates, their plight often unnoticed by the world. Tragically, dog and cat meat eating is not confined to the time of the Yulin Dog Meat Festival. Dogs and cats are slaughtered and eaten in Yulin's markets year-round. With our new partnership, we aim to shine a spotlight on these forgotten felines, elevate their stories, rescue them from danger, and ensure they receive the care they deserve.

The Cats’ Individual Stories 

Our mission is marked by tales of hope and recovery. 

Ash, pictured in the center of the main image, has a story that is heartbreaking. Discovered in a bag with three other cats on the market streets, he was severely malnourished and covered in parasites. After spending over a month at the vet, he now dominates the cat house, though he remains wary of humans. The other cat who survived, DaoDao, was severely underweight, malnourished, and full of parasites post-rescue and spent 6 weeks at the vet. She continues to make steady progress. She is quite aloof and prefers her own company although she is very partial to the scratching posts. 

Mars, a vocal yet traumatized cat, was rescued from a crowded market street. Her wary demeanor speaks volumes of her past traumas, but with the company of other felines, we remain hopeful for her eventual adoption. 

Phoenix and Venus are two extremely lucky cats. Phoenix was rescued from a Yulin market. She was very afraid and bothered by the chaos of the crowds. Post-rescue, she was treated for parasites and a respiratory infection. She has made a full recovery and we are working on building her confidence. Venus was one of the cats rescued from the Yulin Festival. The lonesome kitten was spotted in the market being stuffed into a sack to be sold like an inanimate object. She was in surprisingly good condition without any health issues. She’s very affectionate and loves people. We are hoping to have her adopted in the UK or USA.

These two cats were seen being sold in a rusty cage on a market street selling dead cat carcasses. Their distressed faces indicate they knew what horrors awaited them and they were so incredibly happy to be out of there. Both were treated for parasites but otherwise had no major health concerns. Long is a very confident cat and adores people and attention. Rhu, the cat with the white bib, is happy for him to take the lead and these two remain best feline friends. Rhu looks up to Long and follows him around. They are now looking for their forever homes.

Zhi Zhi was rescued from a cage outside of a restaurant. He was extremely traumatized due to the rough handling he was subjected to by the owner of the restaurant. He also had a respiratory illness. Since then he has recovered and he continues to grow in confidence. He needs a little bit more time before he is ready to be rehomed. 

These eight lucky cats feature in just several of the countless stories our new partnership will help to rewrite.

Our Commitment and Dream

We are steadfast in our mission to bring an end to the dog and cat meat trade, believing that every animal deserves a life free from harm, fear, and exploitation. As we advocate for humane legislative changes in countries including China and South Korea and work on the ground for direct rescues, we also dream of expanding our facilities, introducing vast playgrounds with astroturf and sand pits for the rescued animals to enjoy.

How You Can Help

We remember and deeply appreciate the support many of you have provided to our previous rescue initiatives, especially for the dogs from the meat trade. Now, we urge you to extend that same compassion to help rescue cats from the horrors of Yulin. It's time to broaden our scope and address this dire issue in its entirety.

Your contribution, no matter its size, can transform lives. And for those considering expanding their families, numerous dogs and cats await forever homes. Make a donation, or apply to adopt today.

Together, with the combined strength of our partners, supporters, and dedicated team members, we can make the dog and cat meat trade a relic of the past.