Clover the golden retriever lived in a cramped cage on a dog meat farm in China for most of his early life. He and other pups there had no choice but to eat the remains of other pups who had passed away due to starvation and thirst, and his only purpose in the eyes of his captors was for him to be slaughtered for meat. Whether he was born there or stolen, no one knows.
Then a group of Buddhist monks, who often spoke to traders to negotiate the surrender of some of the pups, swooped in and rescued him and some over pups in the July of 2016. But Clover had so many health conditions and needed veterinary care. Luckily, an activist in China who worked with the Rushton Dog Rescue in UK was just launching the Darkness to Light program, focused on rescuing pups from the meat trade, and took Clover on as the first mission the program would face.
Rushton Dog Rescue
It took months, but Clover slowly began to recover from the effects of canine distemper, pneumonia, mange, and starvation. When it was time for him to begin seeking a new home, Skye Wardle from Gloucester, England saw a post about him and immediately fell in love – and the rest was history.
Skye Wardle
Clover now lives on a farm with his new family, where he patiently looks after chickens, meets others rescued from the dog meat trade and befriends them, and even spreads awareness with a little bandanna that says he’s a survivor of the dog meat trade. He and his Mom Skye hope to spread some education to others about the dog meat problem, and his love, friendliness, and huge heart make many fall in love with him every day!
Skye Wardle
Feature Image Source: Skye Wardle