Stars save lucky dog from diners
By Xu Chi |
October 14, 2011, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THIS is one lucky dog.
The plucky 10-year-old Cockapoo (cross between a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle) escaped dog-nappers who tied him up and would have sold him for dog meat.
The black and white canine miraculously escaped serious injury after being struck by a car.
He was rescued on the highway by crew members from "Ultimate Broadway," a variety show featuring famous scenes and songs from Broadway musicals. One of his rescuers was popular British actress and singer Ria Jones.
"I realized that I'm not in the city only for the show, but also for the dog," Jones told Shanghai Daily.
More good luck.
Veterinarians pronounced the dog bruised but in good health. His owner was located through his embedded registration microchip.
Thus ended the six-day saga of Kuku, renamed Lucky Broadway after his showbiz rescuers.
On Monday Lucky Broadway threw himself into the arms of his ecstatic, tearful owner, 28-year-old Emily Cheng, at the shelter of the Shanghai Small Animal Protection Association (SSAPA) located near the Pudong International Airport.
Cheng had been searching for him across the city for six days.
This is how the shaggy dog story goes:
On October 2, clever Kuku opened an iron security gate and ran down the stairs of a 23-story apartment building in Huangpu District.
Roving dog dealers captured the healthy dog, knowing he would make fine eating at some restaurant. He was tied with nylon cord and dumped in a truck with other unfortunate canines.
On the night of October 3, Kuku managed to escape and jump off the truck onto an elevated highway, but he was knocked down by an oncoming car.
He managed to escape the traffic, crawling among cars to the edge of the highway. Then he was spotted by members of the British touring company for "Ultimate Broadway" who rescued him and took him to a hospital for treatment.
"We were heading back from a show to the Bund when we suddenly heard a big bang on the elevated highway," recalls Jones who has starred in such musicals as "Cats," "Les Miserables" and "Evita."
"We saw the car hit the dog so hard that it was thrown into the air, and then rolled down several meters away."
Jones said the scene scared her and other crew members, who all believed the dog couldn't survive such a crash. But to their surprise, seconds later, the dog stood up and tried to limp to the other side of the highway, a back leg apparently injured.
The crew stopped their vehicle. At considerable risk, cast member Callum Francis ran across traffic, pursued the limping dog, caught it and calmed it down, said Jones.
The dog was still partly bound with nylon cords, leading rescuers to believe he had been abused and abandoned by his owner.
They didn't realize until later that many Chinese like to eat dog meat, especially in fall and winter when it is considered especially warming. Many dogs and puppies are kept in horrible conditions and brutally killed (the fresher the better) just before dinner.
Members of the crew said they were shocked that the driver of the car that struck the dog didn't bother to stop.
"There was blood on the dog's face but fortunately we didn't find any obvious or fatal injuries," said Jones. "It truly seemed like a miracle to us after we all had heard such a big bang."
The crew tried without success to hail a taxi and take the dog to a vet.
"We hailed five cabs on the highway, but all drivers refused to take the dog, yelling 'No dogs allowed' and drove off," said Francis.
He said they eventually hailed a private car at random, gave the driver 100 yuan (US$15.72) and took the dog to a nearby pet hospital on Xujiahui Road.
"That's really a fortunate dog!" said Jones. "X-rays showed not a bone had been broken, the dog only suffered bruises and minor cuts. Eventually the hospital staff located a microchip imbedded in the dog's neck, and then retrieved the registration information, including the owner's name and telephone. They contacted Jane Su at the SSAPA and she got in contact with the elated owner, Emily Cheng, who rushed to the hospital for a reunion.
Cheng said she has raised the dog for 10 years, since it was a puppy. When she found Kuku gone, she searched desperately, posting notices on the Internet and photos in her community.
"Apparently Kuku was being taken away by dog dealers to be served on a dinner table. Thank God it managed to jump off the truck and meet a batch of good people," said Cheng.
Now she has given Kuku a nickname, Lucky Broadway, in honor of its rescuers.
Meanwhile, Jane Su with the SSAPA reminded pet owners to register their pets and have information microchips imbedded, since that's the only way to contact owners if the animals go missing.
"Ultimate Broadway" closed on Sunday after a successful run at the new Shanghai Culture Square. It was the first musical staged at the venue constructed especially as a musical theater and intended to be an anchor of a Broadway-like theater and entertainment district.
The plucky 10-year-old Cockapoo (cross between a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle) escaped dog-nappers who tied him up and would have sold him for dog meat.
The black and white canine miraculously escaped serious injury after being struck by a car.
He was rescued on the highway by crew members from "Ultimate Broadway," a variety show featuring famous scenes and songs from Broadway musicals. One of his rescuers was popular British actress and singer Ria Jones.
"I realized that I'm not in the city only for the show, but also for the dog," Jones told Shanghai Daily.
More good luck.
Veterinarians pronounced the dog bruised but in good health. His owner was located through his embedded registration microchip.
Thus ended the six-day saga of Kuku, renamed Lucky Broadway after his showbiz rescuers.
On Monday Lucky Broadway threw himself into the arms of his ecstatic, tearful owner, 28-year-old Emily Cheng, at the shelter of the Shanghai Small Animal Protection Association (SSAPA) located near the Pudong International Airport.
Cheng had been searching for him across the city for six days.
This is how the shaggy dog story goes:
On October 2, clever Kuku opened an iron security gate and ran down the stairs of a 23-story apartment building in Huangpu District.
Roving dog dealers captured the healthy dog, knowing he would make fine eating at some restaurant. He was tied with nylon cord and dumped in a truck with other unfortunate canines.
On the night of October 3, Kuku managed to escape and jump off the truck onto an elevated highway, but he was knocked down by an oncoming car.
He managed to escape the traffic, crawling among cars to the edge of the highway. Then he was spotted by members of the British touring company for "Ultimate Broadway" who rescued him and took him to a hospital for treatment.
"We were heading back from a show to the Bund when we suddenly heard a big bang on the elevated highway," recalls Jones who has starred in such musicals as "Cats," "Les Miserables" and "Evita."
"We saw the car hit the dog so hard that it was thrown into the air, and then rolled down several meters away."
Jones said the scene scared her and other crew members, who all believed the dog couldn't survive such a crash. But to their surprise, seconds later, the dog stood up and tried to limp to the other side of the highway, a back leg apparently injured.
The crew stopped their vehicle. At considerable risk, cast member Callum Francis ran across traffic, pursued the limping dog, caught it and calmed it down, said Jones.
The dog was still partly bound with nylon cords, leading rescuers to believe he had been abused and abandoned by his owner.
They didn't realize until later that many Chinese like to eat dog meat, especially in fall and winter when it is considered especially warming. Many dogs and puppies are kept in horrible conditions and brutally killed (the fresher the better) just before dinner.
Members of the crew said they were shocked that the driver of the car that struck the dog didn't bother to stop.
"There was blood on the dog's face but fortunately we didn't find any obvious or fatal injuries," said Jones. "It truly seemed like a miracle to us after we all had heard such a big bang."
The crew tried without success to hail a taxi and take the dog to a vet.
"We hailed five cabs on the highway, but all drivers refused to take the dog, yelling 'No dogs allowed' and drove off," said Francis.
He said they eventually hailed a private car at random, gave the driver 100 yuan (US$15.72) and took the dog to a nearby pet hospital on Xujiahui Road.
"That's really a fortunate dog!" said Jones. "X-rays showed not a bone had been broken, the dog only suffered bruises and minor cuts. Eventually the hospital staff located a microchip imbedded in the dog's neck, and then retrieved the registration information, including the owner's name and telephone. They contacted Jane Su at the SSAPA and she got in contact with the elated owner, Emily Cheng, who rushed to the hospital for a reunion.
Cheng said she has raised the dog for 10 years, since it was a puppy. When she found Kuku gone, she searched desperately, posting notices on the Internet and photos in her community.
"Apparently Kuku was being taken away by dog dealers to be served on a dinner table. Thank God it managed to jump off the truck and meet a batch of good people," said Cheng.
Now she has given Kuku a nickname, Lucky Broadway, in honor of its rescuers.
Meanwhile, Jane Su with the SSAPA reminded pet owners to register their pets and have information microchips imbedded, since that's the only way to contact owners if the animals go missing.
"Ultimate Broadway" closed on Sunday after a successful run at the new Shanghai Culture Square. It was the first musical staged at the venue constructed especially as a musical theater and intended to be an anchor of a Broadway-like theater and entertainment district.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
