By:
HUNDREDS of dogs avoided becoming the main course after they were rescued by about 200 Chinese activists.
More than 400 dogs were crammed into a truck, which was forced to stop on a Beijing highway on April 15, after a motorist swerved his car into its path before alerting animal activists via his microblog.
About 200 activists reacted and gathered at the scene and surrounded the vehicle transporting the dogs, some of which had collars and name tags still on them.
The dogs were eventually rescued after a 15-hour standoff.
The motorist who sent the alert told China daily that he's known about trucks transporting dogs on the highway for a long time and happened to see a shipment that night.
China Daily reported that the truck was transporting the dogs to restaurants in Jilin province in the northeast.
The consumption of dog and cat meat, both of which are believed to promote bodily warmth and are thus popular in winter, remains widespread in China despite a surge in popularity as pets.
However, earlier press reports have said authorities were looking into drafting a law that could outlaw the practice.
SOURCES: AP, AFP, China Daily.
PHOTOS: AFP
