Santa Paula non-profit saves dogs from Yulin Dog Meat Festival

Six lucky dogs arrived safely at the Canine Adoption and Rescue League (C.A.R.L.) care facility in Santa Paula over the weekend, with five more arriving by Dec. 1.

The dogs were bred for human consumption as part of the Yulin Dog Meat Festival in China. The 11 dogs are part of C.A.R.L.’s large-scale effort to rescue about 100 dogs from China.

Deborah Hall, a Santa Barbara-based animal welfare advocate, organized volunteers and raised funds to fly to China, recover the dogs from a local rescue partner, and fly them back to the United States.

The Thailand-based dog welfare organization, Soi Dog Foundation, paid the costs to transport the dogs to the U.S.

“I can’t begin to imagine what these dogs have been through,” stated C.A.R.L. Executive Director Sharon Clark. “What matters is they’re safe now. We’ll give them all the love they can stand, and we’ll find them families that will cherish them like they deserve.”

The dogs were given medical and behavioral care before placing them in C.A.R.L.’s adoption program. The non-profit organization says it is committed to caring and finding homes for these lucky dogs.

To learn more about C.A.R.L., how to donate, how to adopt, or how to volunteer, visit http://www.carldogs.org or call (805) 644-PETS.