Horror scenes as part of China's brutal animal meat trade saw 370 dogs and cats die on a 'death truck' headed for a market.
The nightmarish incident occurred on a vehicle crammed with a total of 1,408 animals being trafficked as part of the meet trade.
Police stopped the truck on a highway heading for slaughterhouses and markets in Yulin, south China - with grotesque footage showing the animals caged in the back of the truck.
The vehicle was only halfway along its intended 1,200km journey from Fucheng to Yulin when it was intercepted on October 1, according to Humane Society International.
Rescuers gathered at the scene, including teams from the Beijing-based dog meat campaign specialists from Capital Animal Welfare Association (CAWA).
While hundreds of the animals had died during the horrific journey, those that remained alive were found to be suffering with open wounds, broken bones, respiratory disease and severe dehydration.
Emergency treatment was given at the roadside before the animals were transported to a nearby school being used as a holding facility while local shelters arranged space for them to be housed.
In a further grim and tragic twist, CAWA's Hao Da-yue estimated most of the 718 dogs were likely to be stolen pets, snatched from their homes and destined to be murdered and sold as food.
It's believed the total 690 cats were snatched from the streets.
Hao Da-yue said: “I’ve attended many rescues of dogs and cats from the meat trade, but never before have I encountered such a shocking scene.
"This was a death truck, crammed full with desperate, frightened, traumatised animals caged up with their dead and dying companions. The smell of death, diarrhoea and vomit was overwhelming, and the sound of the animals whimpering and crying for our attention, was just heartbreaking.
"I saw a number of dogs and cats die on the roadside despite desperate attempts to help them, there was nothing that could be done but hold them as they passed away.
"Activists worked with tears in their eyes, many clearly shocked by what they were witnessing. The world needs to see how these poor dogs and cats suffer for China’s meat trade. Such appalling cruelty brings shame on China and shame on the majority of Chinese people who want nothing to do with this despicable trade.”
The two truck drivers have been detained by police and reported to Xian Tao officials, and the trader who contracted them and accumulated the animals now faces investigation by the Agriculture Bureau and could face charges for transporting sick animals across provincial boundaries without legally-required quarantine papers.
Dr. Peter Li, Humane Society International’s China policy specialist, said: “I want to pay tribute to the dedication and bravery of Chinese animal activists who work so hard to help animals caught up in the dog and cat meat trades.
"Having been to dog and cat slaughterhouses and meat markets myself, I know first-hand how traumatising it is to see this scale of animal abuse, and yet they are committed to exposing this cruelty in the hope of ending the trade for good. It is a tragedy that so many of these poor animals died on this truck, and the suffering they all endured at the hands of the meat traders is unimaginable."
