
Police in China rescued about 1,000 cats from a truck headed for a slaughterhouse, state media reported. This destroyed part of the illegal trade in which cat meat is sold as pork or lamb.
According to CNN, following a tip from animal rights activists earlier this month, police in Zhangjiagang, in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu, seized a vehicle used to transport cats.
Without the intervention of activists, the cats would surely be killed and shipped south of the country where their meat would be made into skewers and sausages.
Police and agricultural authorities placed the rescued cats in a nearby shelter, adding that people involved in the business could earn $20,500.
The article does not mention whether anyone was arrested, or whether the cats involved were strays or pets.
The report sparked a new wave of concern over animal rights and food safety on Chinese social media, with many calling for greater government scrutiny./CNN