Interview
The 422.907 Dog Shelter has been fighting for abandoned and abused dogs in Xi’an for three years now. Recently, however, they’ve come upon hard times; at the end of September, the owners were served a notice that they would be evicted from their property—meaning that their current base would cease to exist, and the more than 150 dogs in their care are in danger of becoming homeless. We spoke with their director, Mimi, to talk about the shelter’s past, present and future, and also about how you can get involved.
What’s the history of the shelter?
The base is named Xi’an 422.907 Small Animal Rescue Center because many of the dogs living here were rescued from the butcher’s knife on April 22, 2015 and September 7, 2015. When they were found, some of the dogs were crushed to death, and the remaining dogs were howling from sadness and anxiety. 422.907 Base dogs were all sick and/or pregnant at that time and needed medical attention. Since the day of our encounter, our hearts have been closely tied to these unfortnate lives. At that moment, we decided to build a base to care for these dogs.
How many animals are in your care? What is the care routine like?
Every morning it’s mainly about cleaning their bedding and changing their water, as well as supervising them so they don’t fight. In the afternoon it’s about breaking steamed bread and dicing chicken or mixing meat donated by volunteers with the dog food. Because we can’t afford expensive dog food, we buy the cheapest dog food, so we have to mix some meat in it in order to make it cheaper. It’s not ideal, but the dogs can at least get some better nutrition. By about 4:00pm, more than 20 large bowls have been served, so as to avoid fights over food as much as possible. After that, the dishes are washed and disinfected, and the whole garden has to be disinfected once a day. We repeat this work, day after day.
What are your current facilities?
At present, it’s an open garden, except for some deformed boards laid on the ground to protect against dampness, and some donated old quilts and clothes. There is not much facility for me to express in words.
What are the greatest challenges in running the shelter?
The biggest challenge right now is finding a suitable rental, preferably one that has three acres of land, as well as covering relocation costs after receiving the relocation notice. We expect this will cost as much as 150000 to 200000RMB.
What are the greatest joys of running the shelter?
The greatest pleasure is to continue these lives and fight for them.
How can people help the shelter?
I really don’t know how to talk about how people can help, because there are so many places we need help, such as helping us with the relocation fund, helping the dogs with their rations, or having time to visit and care for them at the base, or adopting a dog, or even getting more attention on WeChat. We are waiting for help. Big or small, every little bit helps.
Contact info
Website: http://907.dwjz.group
WeChat: mimi-99957380, Lj2797588511
Telephone: 157 2197 8350
you are doing a great job