A group of animal welfare volunteers from Hangzhou in eastern China’s Zhejiang province managed to save about 1,000 cats from what could have been a deadly fate.
What happened: The Hangzhou Animal Protection Volunteers Team announced the successful rescue on their WeChat account on Monday. According to the post, their team and local authorities intercepted a wagon that contained around 950 cats at the Renhe community in Yuhang district.
The volunteers on Saturday transported the felines to a local pet hospital, where they received treatment. Chinese media reported that while most of the cats were in good overall condition, some suffered from external injuries and respiratory infections.
Reunited: The cats appear to have been stolen. One owner, identified only as Yang, reunited with her 2-year-old ragdoll cat on Sunday afternoon. The cat went missing in Hangzhou on Friday and was found to be among the rescued felines inside the wagon.
“I am very grateful to the volunteers for helping save the cats, and I hope that those who stole them will be punished accordingly,” Yang told reporters.
Investigation ongoing: The motive behind the questionable transport remains unknown. Authorities have detained the driver of the wagon but have yet to release a statement regarding the investigation.
