A dog rescued from a Chinese slaughterhouse shortly before a dog meat festival is now safe and looking for a family in the D.C. area.
The pup was saved from slaughter in Yulin, China, last month by Humane Society International (HSI). Now, he's got a name -- Little Ricky -- and a plan. He was due to arrive Friday afternoon at the Washington Animal Rescue League (WARL) in D.C., where he'll be available for adoption starting sometime next week.
Little Ricky is a small black-and-white mixed breed, weighing about 15 pounds. His exact age is unknown, but he's close to adulthood.
His name is a tribute to comedian and actor Ricky Gervais, who uses his social media impact to raise awareness about the atrocities of the Chinese dog meat trade. On Thursday, Gervais retweeted a photo of Little Ricky originally posted by the Twitter account @Protect_Wildlife.
HSI China Specialist Peter Li rescued Little Ricky, also with two cats, from the Yulin slaughterhouse shortly before a June 22 dog meat festival. The festival is held each year in Yulin as part of the summer solstice celebration.
Little Ricky now serves as an ambassador for HSI's campaign against dog meat.
"I classify Little Ricky as an ambassador for all shelter animals," WARL CEO Bob Ramin said.
WARL works to care for and find homes for dogs and cats. "[The animals] could be from China or they could be from D.C.," Ramin said Friday.
WARL had medical and behavioral staff ready for Little Ricky's arrival. They hope to get him adopted as soon as possible.
WARL is located at 71 Oglethorpe St. NW in D.C.; shelter staff will update their website once Little Ricky is available for adoption.
