Help Save Sophia and Raise Awareness about the Yulin Festival
If you’ve ever traveled with me, you know I have a soft spot for strays. This is Mon Ami, my little adoptee in Marrakech. I found him when he was crying outside of the riad I was staying in. I took him in and fell in love.
I spent my last day in Morocco trying to find a way to bring him home — I looked up clinics in the area, I messaged friends who are vets to see what I could do, and I took this guy to the two local clinics I could find. If I had been flying straight back to the States, I would have been able to take him, but I had planned to spend a week in Lisbon after Marrakech, and the laws from Africa to Europe to the United States were just too complicated and ultimately, too expensive.
I had to leave him in Morocco — but luckily, I was able to leave him with the two owners of the riad I was staying at (with a face like his, he’s hard not to fall in love with). I felt blessed to have been able to take him in, give him a bath and feed him for those few days, and lucky that he has a good home now.
Mon Ami is the reason why the story of a little dog in China named Sophia has touched my heart.
Sophia is a rescue dog who was saved from becoming dog meat during the Yulin Festival, a local custom that takes place every year to celebrate the summer solstice — which is centered around a traditional canine banquet each year.
You can check out Vice’s video below for a more detailed explanation on the Yulin Festival:
Sophia was rescued by Together for Animals in China (TACN) and she already has a home waiting for her in the United States! Since TACN is a non-profit with limited funds, their focus is on rescuing the dogs and then their team relies on volunteers, fosters, adoptions and donations to send them to good homes.
Sophia’s adoption is passing and she can be at her new home in just six weeks. To bring Sophia to the United States, it costs $480. Almost half of that has already been raised on a GoFundMe donation page. There’s also a bunch of really great items that have been donated for an awareness raffle on Instagram using #savesophiagiveaway.
Sophia is just one dog, but she comes with a big story. Let’s help bring her home!
Learn more about TACN on their website.
Donate to help bring Sophie home here.
Search for the #savesophiagiveaway on Instagram to help raise awareness.
♡
