Massive Cat Rescue Operation in China: Saving 1,000 Lives from the Horrors of Slaughter and Sale as Meat

Chinese police have rescued approximately 1,000 cats from a truck that was on its way to a slaughterhouse, exposing a portion of the illegal trade in which feline meat is deceitfully sold as pork or mutton. This incident has caused renewed concerns about food safety. Acting upon information provided by animal activists, officers from Zhangjiagang in Jiangsu province intercepted a vehicle that was being used to gather and transport the captured cats, as reported by Chinese state-affiliated news outlet, The Paper.

The report indicated that if no action was taken, the batch would have been slaughtered and transported to the southern region to be used for pork and lamb skewers, as well as sausages.

Following the prevention of the scheme, the police and agricultural authorities transported the cats to a nearby shelter, as reported by The Paper. This plot had the potential to generate up to $20,500.

CNN has contacted the Zhangjiagang police and the animal shelter regarding any arrests made and clarification on whether the cats were strays or pets. According to The Paper, animal activists discovered numerous nailed wooden boxes containing numerous cats in close proximity to a cemetery.

According to the report, the individuals conducted street patrols for a total of six days. When the truck initiated the transportation of the cats to the slaughterhouse, they promptly intervened and contacted the police. The images released by The Paper depicted the saved cats finding repose within more spacious enclosures at the shelter.

According to one source mentioned by the publication, a pound of cat meat can be sold for approximately $4 through an underground operation by misrepresenting it as mutton or pork. After being processed, each cat typically weighs between four and five pounds. Gong Jian, an activist involved in the establishment of a sanctuary for stray cats in Jiangsu, expressed that certain individuals are willing to go to any lengths due to the profitability of the trade.

Calls for stronger protection

"The country has struggled with a long history of food and safety scandals in the past."

Rewritten content: "China has a troubling track record of recurring food and safety scandals."

A college recently went viral due to a food scandal involving a rat's head discovered in one of their school meals. Initially, local officials claimed it was a duck neck, but suspicions of a cover-up led to the involvement of provincial investigators who uncovered the truth.

Although China has regulations safeguarding livestock and endangered animals, there is currently no specific legislation in place to address animal cruelty pertaining to domestic pets and stray dogs and cats.

Animal rights and environmental organizations have been advocating for the cessation of utilizing animal parts, even those from endangered species, in traditional medicine. Moreover, there is a rising resistance towards the yearly dog meat festival held in Yulin, located in the western autonomous Guangxi region.

"One of the numerous participants in the recent discussion expressed the viewpoint that animals do not possess rights and there is an absence of assurance regarding the safety of food," stated a comment.

On Sunday alone, the topic received five million views. In 2021, local authorities faced criticism for euthanizing several pets whose owners had tested positive for Covid, prompting a surge of outrage especially due to an incident where a health worker fatally assaulted a corgi using a shovel.

"I hope the country can legislate an animal protection law soon," another user said, referring to the latest scandal.