A Flight to Freedom: The Story of One Dog’s Lucky Escape from the Meat Trade

WRITTEN BY: MISHA RACKLIFF, Contributing Writer

April 26, 2020 was the day I had waited months for. Two days earlier, I had received a phone call from Pati Dane, the director at the Dalmatian Rescue of South Florida, telling me that I would finally be able to make the four hour journey to Jacksonville, Florida to pick up my new rescue dog, Emma. As I got in the car that morning and began my drive, I still wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I knew very little about this little spotted dog who had captured my heart with just a single photo on a Facebook post.

Emma Roo arrived in the United States in midJanuary of 2020 after spending the first few years of her life in Shanxi Province of China. By some stroke of fate, I accidentally stumbled across the post containing her photo that simply said “will be arriving soon.” I had recently lost my older Dalmatian to old age and had been considering adopting a new companion. It wasn’t until I reached out to the rescue for more information that I learned Emma was a lucky survivor of the inhumane dog meat trade in China.

Southern Vintage Photography

Like many Americans, I was blissfully unaware of the horror of the dog meat trade until Emma Roo came into my life. According to Human Society International, it is estimated that up to 10 million Chinese dogs (and 4 million cats) are slaughtered annually for human consumption. Even more alarming, more than 10,000 of these deaths occur during the annual Yulin Dog Meat Festival, which spans over the course of 10 days around the summer solstice. The festival, which began in 2009, takes place in the Guangxi province of China and has drawn criticism from animal activists around the world. While festival organizers initially claimed that the animals in question were humanely executed, attendees over the years have uncovered the horrors these animals face. Photos and videos quickly surfaced showing evidence of cruel treatment including reports of brutal torture, dismemberment, and even boiling dogs to death. In many photos, living dogs can be seen neglectfully crammed into small cages awaiting their deaths. At the start of the festival, many believed the dogs being sold for consumption had been bred in a manner similar to that of livestock, meaning they’d been raised on dog meat farms throughout the country. However, according to the Animals Asia Foundation, it is reported that approximately 70% of rural villages in China have witnessed a large number of mysterious dog disappearances, suggesting that many of the at-risk animals are stolen from households. Many of the caged dogs do not fit the description of the typical meat-dog that is currently bred on meat farms. Many of the festival dogs seem to be purebred and even more heartbreaking, some of these dogs can be seen wearing collars, harnesses, and clothing.

Since 2009, animal activists around the world have been working to ban the mistreatment of dogs in China and across several other countries where the consumption of dog meat is commonplace. Through protest and rescue efforts, it is estimated that over 1,000 dogs are rescued from the Yulin Festival each year. In a swift change of luck, many of these dogs are taken into the custody of animal rescues who are able to transport and adopt them into homes around the world. Unfortunately, the cruelty does not stop with the Yulin Festival. Throughout rural areas of the country, lost and stolen dogs can be found in slaughterhouses and “wet markets” (small outdoor meat markets) year round. One of the most common ways that dogs are saved from death is by the bravery of undercover activists who intercept the trucks moving animals from one point to another. In 2013, the Animal Epidemic Prevention Law instituted a policy that requires all dogs to be vaccinated for transport. Because dogs being transported for consumption are not vaccinated, they are considered illegal to transport or sell, allowing some transport trucks to be intercepted. Once authorities are notified, the animals are put into the custody of animal rescue organizations and taken to safety. For years, animal rights activists have been working to introduce new legislation that will prevent the unnecessary deaths and mistreatments of cats and dogs across China.

As the coronavirus pandemic began to spread across China, it was speculated by many that the outbreak was a result of the “wet markets” in Wahun, China. To help prevent the spread of disease, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture reclassified the livestock regulations in April 2020. The government clearly outlined all of the acceptable species of consumable livestock via this bill, with all others falling into the category of companion animals. As an early victory, dogs were no longer listed as a type of livestock meaning they can no longer be bred for food, milk, fur, fiber, or medicine. Despite these new animal welfare regulations, activists were shocked to see that the annual Yulin Festival was still to be held this past June. In the weeks and months following, photo and video evidence of the festival have begun to surface, raising questions on the efficacy and enforcement of the new legislation. In another massive setback, the United States Center for Disease Control instituted a new policy effective July 14, 2021 that temporarily suspends dog imports from countries that are considered highrisk for rabies. Rescues in the US are now lobbying to overturn this legislation, which does not have a definite end date.

Thankfully, Emma Roo was one of these lucky dogs who were given a second chance at life. While distance, censorship regulations, and language barriers have made it hard to learn the specifics of her rescue, I’ve been able to piece together a bit of her background. For a dog estimated only a few years old at rescue, Emma has experienced more trauma than any dog ever should. A sweet Chinese National who I’ll refer to only as Doe, reached out to me shortly after Emma’s adoption. In broken English she introduced herself as someone who had a large part in Emma’s journey. I learned that Emma Roo had been rescued from the meat trade when she was only a puppy and due to the severity of her injuries, had lived at a vet clinic for several months. After 5-6 months of medical care, she was adopted but had been returned to the clinic. Due to the seriousness of her injuries and the level of care that Emma would need, the veterinarian at the clinic decided her best chance would be outside of China. He contacted local rescue advocates who put him touch with Doe, beginning her journey to me here in Charleston. Once Emma was spoken for by Doe’s rescue, volunteers began networking her story in hopes of finding a breed-specific rescue in the US to take her case.

Upon hearing of her, the Dalmatian Rescue of South Florida worked diligently with Doe’s organization to obtain all the necessary funding and travel documents Emma would need. Due to the changing political and social climate, it was

a race against time to get Emma on a flight to the states. The COVID-19 pandemic was quickly spreading to other parts of the world and the United States government was slowly beginning to limit the amount of animal imports coming from China.

Meanwhile back here in the USA, I scrolled through Facebook one day and stopped in my tracks upon seeing her photo. There was something about her very human-like amber colored eyes that consumed my thoughts for days. As an advocate for adopting special needs dogs, I jokingly tried to convince friends and family to take her in. On January 28, 2020 Emma Roo arrived in the cargo hold of an airliner at Miami International Airport, just days before the US government banned the import of animals from China as a means of combating Coronavirus. I had been following her story since that first day she came across my newsfeed and decided to inquire about making a donation in her honor. I learned that although she had many supporters, she had not had any adoption offers. I immediately knew that fate had led me to finding her that day and soon enough I had committed to giving her a new life. The next few months would prove to be a waiting game as quarantine and travel restrictions prevented Emma from moving across state lines. The day I finally held this sweet dog in my arms, standing in the parking lot of a random rest stop, I couldn’t help but cry. This is a memory that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Today, Emma Roo is living her best life. Thanks to the support of more than 13,000 Instagram fans, she has received a custom built wheelchair cart. After months of massage and swim therapy, she can be found at dog parks throughout Charleston running with the big dogs. She shares her story both on social media and through local events to help raise awareness and educate others about the dog meat trade. It is her hope (and mine) that one day this cruel practice will end and that dogs throughout the world will be treated equally. When she is not out being a local celebrity, Emma Roo can be found snuggled up in her king size bed or waiting at the front door for her next Barkbox to arrive.■