Mercy mission to save dogs from ending up on the menu
DOGS which have been saved from the butcher’s block in China will be arriving in the UK next month thanks to a kind-hearted Manchester professional.
Bradley Russell will be travelling to China in February to bring up to five dogs to the UK, where they will be adopted by locals.
Bradley, an investment manager at Brewin Dolphin, is currently raising funds for charities Veganuary and the Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation as part of the trip.
Bradley will fly to India, where he will complete a charity bike ride around Rajasthan for six days before heading out to China, where he will meet with the Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation at their animal sanctuary.
Bradley, who will also adopt two dogs, said: “I have two dogs myself and am very passionate about animal welfare.
“In summer 2017, I visited an animal sanctuary in Los Angeles belonging to the Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation, a charity which predominantly rescues dogs from the dog meat trade.
“I met a beautiful dog there, named Sprit, who had been found next to a dog meat vendor in China, with his front two paws chopped off to make soup.
“He was found next to the food stand, still completely conscious and simply awaiting the next order, before more body parts would be removed.
“When I met him, he was one of the happiest dogs you could ever come across and seemingly didn’t have any trust issues around humans, even after all that people had done to him.
“I committed then that I would love to do something to raise awareness of this charity and hopefully some funds too and have been in touch with the charity about adopting dogs that have been rescued from a similar fate.”
It’s estimated that in China alone, 10 million dogs and four million cats are slaughtered for the dog meat trade each year.
Bradley will travel to India on February 6. The trip is being funded by Bradley, and all the monies raised will go directly towards the charities.
He added: “These are fantastic charities and I’m aiming to raise £5,000 or more.
“It will be great if I can reach that target and get the support from people in Manchester.”
To sponsor Bradley visit www. justgiving.com/fundraising/bradleyrussell1