Dog living her best life in Wales after being rescued from Chinese meat market

Stephen Price

A volunteer at an animal rescue charity has shared her ‘life-changing’ experience after working to save the lives of dogs destined for the cruel dog meat trade.

Liane Webber lives in Carway, near Kidwelly, and volunteers with Pug Life Rescue, formerly known as Muffin Pug Rescue.

In 2021, Liane heard about Tricki – a dog that was dragged from a bin at a live meat market, minutes away from torture and death.

Liane shared: “The cruel meat trade in China sees thousands of dogs tied up, tortured and then skinned alive before boiling or roasting.

“Their belief is the more the animal suffers, the better the meat tastes. I cannot for the life of me understand how cruel some people can be.”

Inspired by her rescue, Liane’s mum adopted a Tibetan Spaniel, Teddy who was another one of the charity’s rescue dogs but from Bosnia’s breeding and killing kennels.

Liane shared harrowing details of the cruelty there, saying: “The dogs live in metal cages that are flooded then electricity is introduced to kill all the dogs quickly.”

Dog meat trade

Across Asia, millions of dogs and cats are subjected to brutal capture and killing for the meat trade. HSI is among many other charities that campaigns year-round in South Korea, Indonesia, China, Viet Nam and India to end this cruelty.

Dogs and cats are snatched from the streets, while pets are stolen from their homes to supply the trade.

Many are crammed onto trucks and transported for days without food, water or rest, arriving at slaughterhouses terrified, injured and weak.

The brutalised dogs face horrific deaths through methods such as bludgeoning, torching or drowning.

In South Korea, dogs are bred in barren cages on factory farms and killed by electrocution, bludgeoned, hanged or more rarely, boiled alive.. Most people across Asia don’t eat dog or cat meat, and charities such as HSI are working with local groups tocampaign for an end to the trade.

Whether crammed onto trucks—where they endure dehydration, starvation, broken limbs, shock and disease—or huddled in the corner of a filthy slaughterhouse, activists are often these animals’ last hope.

Across Asia, there is increasingly vocal local opposition to this trade due to cruelty, criminality and human health concerns.

Dog meat is mainly, but not exclusively, eaten by older, male consumers under the misapprehension of health benefits.

In South Korea and China, most people don’t eat dogs, but there are hot spots and times of year when and where consumption increases.

In South Korea, more dog meat is consumed during Bok Nal (the hottest days in summer) than at other times of the year. In China, there is increased consumption in “hotspot” provinces such as Guangdong, Yunnan, Guangxi (where the infamous Yulin dog meat festival takes place), Jilin and Liaoning.

The World Health Organisation warns that the trade, slaughter and consumption of dogs poses human health risks from trichinellosis, cholera and rabies.

Dog meat bans already exist in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore, and South Korea recently passed a law to ban the dog meat industry by 2027.

Live meat market

Liane told Nation.Cymru: “The image above is the first picture I ever took of my little angel when I picked her up from Folkestone. She had just arrived into the country from Paris.

“She landed in Paris after an 11 hour flight from China.”

She added: “I rescue pugs and I have always been one to promote rescue from this country, but when I saw Tricki I just knew she had to be mine

“A horrifying death for the meat trade was Tricki’s fate. Lucky for her, she was one of the very few rescued and sent to this country to a new life. A saved life and a treasured one.

“Our rescue was contacted by these brave people who venture into these markets saving dogs, they told us of the pugs and other poor souls they have rescued and could we help.

“We raised funds and managed to get a few over to us. It’s a terrible fate for these poor creatures and it should be stopped.

“I had no idea how old she was but I instantly fell in love with her. She now lives with us in West Wales and is loved and adored by all who meet her. The trauma doesn’t end there unfortunately.

“She suffers terrible panic attacks and is terrified of everything and every one.

“Family and friends have to let her come to them in her own time and she has to fully trust them before they are allowed to greet her.

“It’s honestly the hardest thing I have ever seen, knowing her hell is still in her memory.

“She was introduced to my 6 pugs (all rescued) and life for her was now safe and happy. On her terms of course.”

“She is now such a diva and princess. She likes to place her head on a velvet cushion, is hand fed when she is being fussy with food, has smoked salmon once a month and is groomed twice a month.

“A spoiled little girl. One I absolutely adore and treasure.”

Liane shared that she is one of many volunteers all around the UK working day and night for Pug Life Rescue, even as far north as the Highlands in Scotland, all dedicating their lives to rescue dogs and give them better lives.

She said: “Even the Trustees of the rescue work day and night sorting transport, funds, homes and so much more. They all do a phenomenal job.

“We won’t stop until we can bring an end to this evil trade, and I just wish every dog suffering both home and abroad could find a secure and loving home like Tricki has.”