After testing positive for Covid-19, Sarah Wang was sent to a quarantine center and forced to leave her cat in her Shanghai apartment. Volunteers are now organizing to save the kitten and other pets from hunger and thirst.
The financial capital of China is facing an outbreak of the pandemic, for the first time since the end of 2019. Nearly 25 million people have been trapped inside their homes since early April. China is pursuing a very strict “zero Covid” strategy, in which those who are positive for the new coronavirus, even the asymptomatic ones, are taken to quarantine centers and isolated from the rest of the population. But these people are not allowed to take their animals with them, who are in danger of dying of hunger and thirst, as they can be left for days or even weeks, without anyone taking care of them.
Many also fear that their dog or cat will be euthanized by health authorities, something that has already happened several times in China since the beginning of the pandemic. The video, which shows a member of the health service hitting a small corgi to death in early April, caused a stir on the internet.
These plans caused a real “panic” in the pet owners, explained Erin Lee, a 33-year-old American who has started a “rescue operation” of cats and dogs that were left alone in the apartments. Within days, Lee and her friends set up a network of hundreds of volunteers.
“Harsh conditions”
The network found someone who said he was willing to temporarily host Wang’s cat. “She would not have survived after being disinfected in my apartment,” said the 28-year-old. “I dare not even imagine what miserable conditions she would be in, without anyone feeding her,” he added.
In a China where authorities want to prevent new cases of Covid-19, pet welfare is not necessarily a priority. Last year, at least three cats and a dog were beaten to death with sticks or iron bars by members of the health service.
After the video of the corgi was released, Erin Lee said she was overwhelmed by messages from owners who “wanted to save their animals at all costs.” The small group of volunteers gathers day and night requests for help, via the internet. They then categorize the information, depending on how urgent each situation is. In the next step, they post photos and messages on social media platforms, in Chinese and English, until a good Samaritan is found who will agree to host the animal. Distributors who have the right to move and work despite the quarantine are then sent to pick up the animals from the entrances of the buildings and transport them to their new home.
Birds and reptiles
Volunteers have already helped hundreds of cats and dogs, as well as some birds, fish and reptiles. They also sent food to a closed pet store where about 50 huskies lived, Lee said.
Often, the “exit” of animals from the apartment is a puzzle. Some do not want to take the risk and circumvent the strict bans imposed by the authorities. Another problem is that security men, who are located in almost all apartment buildings in major Chinese cities, often refuse to carry animals to the entrance. And distributors, who usually carry food or other necessities, ask for a higher fee to take care of an animal.
Recently, “rescuers” took an hour and a half to transport a dog from its owner’s apartment to another building just 600 meters away, Erin Lee explained. They also often have to let the authorities know that there will be “negative reactions” and that the image of the country will be tarnished if an animal is abused, said Osian Zhang, who helped “negotiate” the release of the animal. “If we all continue to work together, then emergencies (…) can be resolved within a few hours,” he concluded.
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