Nearly 3,000 cats were saved from becoming someone's dinner this week after animal rights activists in the central Chinese city of Wuhan blocked a truck carrying the kitties south. It was likely that the felines would be sold as meat at restaurants in a part of the country where cats continue to be served as food. The driver of the truck reportedly used a false quarantine license to transport the cats, and is being investigated. The cats will be rescued, according to the local Animal Protection Association Center.
While a scandal over meals that turned out to contain horse meat rattled the U.K. and parts of Europe last summer, China has an unfortunate record when it comes to animal rights. The 30 activists that blocked the path of the cat-carrying truck merely highlighted some of the abuses that take place, including live pig fighting and the bear bile industry. Nearly a year ago, a similar rescue of hundreds of felines took place in Changsha, China, after the truck carrying them crashed.
One sign of progress is the decision by the Chinese Food and Drug Administration to allow domestic cosmetic products to forego animal testing, which will begin in June. And apart from it being completely obvious, here is one extra reason why supporting animal rights is a no-brainer. (Hint: Ryan Gosling.)
