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April 24, 2017

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Live streaming promotes animal adoptions

A TOTAL of 34 Chinese cities with a combined population of nearly 300 million took part in a simultaneous pet adoption day at the weekend, promoting the adoption of rescued stray animals.

The live streaming of China Pet Adoption Day events in Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Qingdao, Tianjin and Xi’an was watched by 562,000 people.

From Urumqi in the far northwest to subtropical Fuzhou on the southeast coast, people gathered to raise awareness of animal welfare and to help strays find loving homes.

Sun Quanhui, campaign manager and senior veterinary adviser with World Animal Protection, said: “Planet Earth is not only home to humanity but also a home that we share with other animals. It is mankind’s duty and important in a civilized society to treat animals kindly.”

As China’s population becomes more prosperous, pet ownership has increased dramatically, but problems, such as pet abandonment and cruelty, are also growing.

“International experience has proven that promotion of pet adoption can reduce the stray population and improve the sense of responsibility of both pet owners and society as a whole,” Sun said.

“In recent years, more and more adoption events have taken place all over the country, which indicates an awakening of the Chinese public consciousness to animal protection.

“Adopting a pet instead of purchasing one has been gaining a wider acceptance.”

American Edward Dumpe, who has been working on designs for stray animal shelters in Beijing, said: “It surely sounds super sweet and I have no doubt that it must have been the result of great efforts.

“I think it is a good step in the right direction, and should be taken as evidence that Chinese society is becoming more aware of stray animals who deserve to be taken care of and treated with respect.”

Blogger “Rabbit-eating Carrot,” who has more than a million followers, said: “The most important thing is spreading the word about pet adoption. People don’t adopt companion animals in China, not because they don’t want to, but because they don’t know about the possibility.”

In real life, “Rabbit-eating Carrot” is a fashion designer who has created garments embroidered with slogans such as “Please adopt a pet” and images of her cats, with all profits going to the Qiming Small Animal Protection Center in Sichuan Province.

“I didn’t know that there were events like this in China. This is fantastic. Impressive,” commented George Philippe, a French resident of Beijing and father of two, at an event in the capital.


 

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