Animal Rescuer In Shanghai Is A Buddhist Monk Who Saved 8,000 Stray Dogs And Is Looking For Their Forever Homes
In China, there are millions of cats and dogs living on the streets. Most of these strays have been abandoned by their previous owners to fend for themselves.
With uncontrolled breeding contributing to the issue, the number of strays continues to grow daily. Fortunately, a Buddhist monk in Shanghai is doing his best to save these poor abandoned animals.
Zhi Xiang, the fifty-one-year-old rescuer, has been helping these unfortunate animals since 1994. He currently shelters almost 8,000 dogs, along with hundreds of birds and cats.
Xiang has a rescue shelter in Shanghai, while others are cared for at Bao'en Temple, an ancient monastery.
A total of $2 million a year is spent feeding all the strays, with all the funds coming from donations.
When Xiang started about three decades ago, he began tending to cats who were hit by vehicles.
At that time, abandoned animals were not common in China. However, after the pet market's boom, the number of strays in the country began to increase.
According to Xiang, this situation wasn't caused by the government or by people who disliked dogs. It stems from pet owners who are unaware of the proper way to care for dogs.
The monk mostly takes care of dogs, but he also cares for other strays, including geese, peacocks, chickens, and cats.
Eventually, he will send these poor little ones to their forever homes. With increased efforts from English-speaking volunteers, about 300 dogs have already found their new homes in the USA, Canada, and various countries in Europe.
Xiang believes that the rehomed animals are now very happy, but he still misses them.
Xiang finds it hard to say goodbye to the ones he rescued.
Still, he holds onto hope that he can meet those he rescued once again. He dreams that one day he will have the opportunity to go overseas and visit them.
So when I get old and can't walk, I will have these photos to look at.
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