On November 29, the Animal Welfare Association (AWA) took in three dogs that were rescued from the Chinese dog meat trade. 

Lori Topiel, an AWA volunteer and sponsor, recently rescued her own dog from the Chinese meat trade and connected AWA with an international rescue group. Shanbao, Maggie and Aman are three dogs that have been saved from a cruel fate and are currently being sheltered and cared for at AWA. 

In China, millions of dogs are bred and inhumanely killed for their meat. “It’s heartbreaking to think how these dogs live,” comments Maya Richmond, executive director. “These dogs are bred merely for consumption. Once they are no longer useful they are sold to meat vendors.” 

For Maggie, it was especially a close call. “Maggie was on a truck on her way to be slaughtered when a heroic woman from the rescue organization plucked her right from the truck,” says Richmond. 

AWA will provide Shanbao, Maggie and Aman with time to adjust. They will receive medical care and extensive behavior rehabilitation and training so they can learn that humans can be loving and kind. Ultimately, they will be placed into the kind of homes they deserve. They are a long way from the cramped, chicken-wire crates they once lived in. 

Location: 509 Centennial Blvd., Vorhees, NJ. For more information, call 856-424-2288 or visit AWANJ.org.