PAWSOME TV Paul hails hero for rescuing abused pups from China
PAUL O’grady is backing a campaigner who has saved dozens of dogs from slaughter for meat.
The TV favourite urged Brits to support Kerry Elliman, who brought 12 abused dogs from China to the UK last weekend.
Some have limbs missing, thought to have been hacked off to stop them escaping. Others are blind from beatings.
Dog-lover Paul, 62, said: “I really admire Kerry’s guts and determination for doing this. She’s marvellous, one of the good guys.”
Paul, who presents ITV’S For The Love Of Dogs, refuses to travel to China in protest at animal cruelty. He said: “I can’t be in a nice hotel where a few streets away dogs are being hacked to death. I’ve never heard anything about amputations before. It horrifies me that anyone could do that to stop a dog getting away. It’s just atrocious.”
Ten of the 12 rescued dogs have been adopted by British families. The two amputees even have “wheelchairs” to get around.
It cost £12,000 to bring them to the UK and another £34,000 for vet bills.
Kerry, 38, said: “Each dog has been through so much, it’s heartbreaking.
“They’ll need to be treated gently as they’ll be traumatised and some will need further ops and hydrotherapy.
“I wish we could save more.”
Kerry relies on donations and volunteers to run Birmingham Greyhound Protection in the UK and Candy Cane Rescue in China. Her Beijing team buys pups off meat-trade merchants for £100 each and even pulls some from trucks going to slaughterhouses. Speaking of the farms in China – where eating dogs is traditional – the activist and mum of one said: “The dogs are kept in tiny cages and tortured before being hung, skinned or boiled alive. By the time we get them many have suffered horrendous abuse and are very damaged.” To donate, visit birminghamgrey houndprotection.org