A group of dogs that had been destined to be turned into canine meat in China have been saved after an American charity gathered 34 of them and flew them to New York where they will be housed with loving families across the country.
The dogs were flown Air China directly from Beijing to JFK having been rescued by the group No Dogs Left Behind.
The organization, which operates a shelter in China, was founded in 2016 and has saved hundreds of dogs over the last four years by finding them Forever Homes in the United States.
The dogs were rescued from China and flown to New York to be adopted by loving families
One of the lucky dogs who was rescued from certain death and brought to the U.S.
35 dogs were brought over from China on this occasion with a further 45 expected Saturday
No Dogs Left Behind founder Jeff Beri, left. Offloaded crates are picture, right
Activist group No Dogs Left Behind has brought thousands of dogs since 2016
The group confront traffickers directly in China and threaten to report to authorities
The charity targets slaughterhouses, wet markets, traffickers and illegal breeders across China in order to prevent them from being turned into canine meat
Shortly after touching down from Asia, the dogs which consisted of retrievers, corgis, poodles, Pomeranians, dachshunds and mutts were given water and treats before meeting their new owners.
'I'm feeling amazing — I can't wait to get home,' Carly Weinstein, who had been waiting six months for the new arrival, told The New York Post. 'It's an amazing Christmas gift!' she said.
'I'm going to love her with all my heart,' said 11-year-old Auxence Goullier as she held her family's new poodle.
'It is a great feeling, holding him, knowing what could have happened if he wasn't rescued,' said Laura O'Keefe of West Islip, New York.
One little girl appeared to be extremely happy with her new family member
A further 45 dogs are due to arrive on Saturday with another 135 in early 2021. Pictured, crates on the tarmac at JFK
The families came to the airport directly in order to pick their pooches up and take them home
The dogs were flown Air China directly from Beijing to JFK having been rescued by the group No Dogs Left Behind (file photo)
Another lucky dogs gets ready to begin a new life after a 14 hour flight from China
Another 45 dogs are scheduled to arrive on Saturday followed by 120-135 early next year, all courtesy of the same activist charity which was founded by 56-year-old Jeff Beri.
'This by far is the largest transport that we have done,' he said.
'These dogs… are my heroes, the adopters are my heroes who've waited for their dogs for almost a year now and every dog that walks the streets is an ambassador for the cruelty-free movement that we're fighting for.
'Dead, on the plate, skinned alive, boiled alive, blowtorched, beaten to death. Doesn't matter whether it's a poodle, whether or not it's a German Shepherd, a Golden Retriever, a mutt, doesn't matter if it's a Chinese dog, they don't care.'
Beri along with his team have managed to save thousands of dogs since 2017 and employ various tactics, usually under cover of darkness, in order to save the pups from certain doom.
The team usually confront the illegal traffickers directly and threaten to turn them into the Chinese authorities where they could face hefty fines.
'The fines exceed the cost of the meat, which is why they turn them over,' Beri said.
They have even been known to use drones in order to track down the meat sellers.
Jeff Beri, right, who heads No Dogs Left Behind, pictured handing out dogs to new owners
Families drove to JFK airport in New York to pick up their new furry friends
All kinds of dogs arrived in this shipment including poodles, German Shepherd's and Golden Retrievers
Recently, many dogs were abandoned in China after misinformation led to people thinking they could catch COVID from their pets.
'Families had to abandon their dogs and many families sold their dogs to butchers in fear the police would come to detain them,' Beri said.
'There was a lot of mixed messaging coming out saying you could get COVID from your dog.'
The airline decided to break up the shipments in two in order to ensure Oxygen levels in the plane's cargo hold were at a safe level.
'Thirty-four survivors have landed from the brutality of China's illegal dog trafficking!' he said. 'No Dogs Left Behind fights the fight on the front lines.'
The group videoed the dogs meeting their new family members at New York's JFK airport
New dog owners showed their support for the organization and held up signs for the cameras
Beri is also lobbying Chinese government officials to try and create Animal Welfare laws.
'Global animal welfare laws are in order, and until that happens, we will continue to fight. We will sanction and we will boycott until change happens.'
The organization hopes to bring planning to bring as many as another 135 dogs into the country from China by early 2021.
The charity targets slaughterhouses, wet markets, traffickers and illegal breeders across China in order to prevent them from being turned into canine meat.
'No Dogs Left Behind believes no country has the right to recklessly slaughter animals and any country that does, it is time for sanctions and boycotting in any way possible because the next pandemic is coming,' Beri said.
'We're fighting for vaccines, but nobody's fighting for change.'
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