Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Music chiefs tuning up for Belfast event
Charity plea for help in China
GLOBAL music experts are gathering in Ulster this week for a meeting on this year’s trends.
The MAC and Oh Yeah Centre are hosting around 75 speakers as part of Output Belfast 2019.
It will include a Q&A session on the Public Service Broadcasting group’s song White Star Liner in a nod to the city’s Titanic heritage.
Councillor Donal
Lyons said: “Since its inception in 2015, Output Belfast has been an invaluable event for those working, or seeking to work, in the local music industry.”
Other highlights include a discussion on the music used in comedies Derry Girls and Young Offenders. A CHARITY is calling for Ulster volunteers to travel to China to build a compound for dogs saved from the meat markets.
Playforstrays hopes to gather a team to create secure pens for Slaughterhouse Survivors HRB Animal Rescue.
The not-for-profit group has secured a large area of fenced land in Harbin, China, but with no shelter or facilities it is lying empty.
Playforstrays boss David Foster, from Antrim, said: “There are so many dogs in need. Right now it’s about -30C so building would not be possible.
“But that gives us time to gather up volunteers and tradespeople who can help us build what is needed to look after these dogs as they are rehabilitated in the hope of finding loving homes.
“We need tradespeople who can work and direct others and we need materials.
“So if you’re a tradesperson or contractor or labourer or just handy and you have a few days or weeks spare, we’d love you to come to Harbin, which is about a twohour flight from Beijing, to help us.
“It will probably be a couple of months until supplies for kennels and enclosures are secured so you’ve time to convince your boss to give you time to help us out.
“Or maybe you could get the boss to donate to the cost of materials.”
David said volunteers would need to cover the cost of flights and
YESTERDAY
accommodation in north-east China. He added: “You will of course get to meet some of the dogs saved from the slaughter houses and feel their love.
“But it’s going to take some pretty special people to get on board. We know there will be lots of people who would love to but just can’t, but we’re sure there are people who can come along and join us in Harbin and help us make the difference on the ground.
“I’ll be helping with all the logistics and the team in China will be on-hand too.”
David travels the world with his work for Sepha, a Dundonald-based engineering firm.
After spending a lot of time in Asia he started to understand the dog and cat meat trade and decided to help the pets.
David said: “I’ve always been an animal lover and I could hardly believe my eyes.
“When I asked what the furs were for sale, I was told there were Chinese wolves. But I could see they were cat and dog pelts and these animals were being farmed for food and skins.
“As the challenge to the farming and trade slowly succeeds we are having to deal with more and more dogs in need.
“And that’s what the Harbin haven is so important. There are already about 150 dogs waiting for shelter and the numbers will grow.
“So please if there’s anything you can do to help, please contact me on Facebook.”