SANCTUARY ANIMALS
Inevitably, as the years go on, and our rescue numbers increase, as do the number of rescues in our care that aren’t suitable for rehoming into domestic homes. These animals either are species unsuitable for international travel or domestic living, or are animals so badly treated previously, that they have ongoing behavioural and/or medical needs we promise to provide for the rest of their lives.
Despite not being able to live out their lives in their own families and homes, we are their family. And we promise to always provide them with a loving, safe, and healthy environment.
We rely on our monthly donors to help us provide this for them. If you can help spare £1/$1/€1 a month, it goes a long way to helping us ensure we have this safety net of security for these ever increasing Safehouse residents.
Please consider supporting us on a monthly basis!
Pigs
Percy (M) RIP🌈
Percy was our first ever pig, and came to us in just before Christmas 2018. He was rescued from outside a busy shopping centre, in the middle of the city.
Only a tiny little piglet, he wasn’t more than a few weeks old. Having spent his whole life around our dogs, Percy has no idea he is a pig. He is more than happy chilling with the pack. Percy has one true love though, his blue plastic barrel ‘girlfriend’, which he adores.
Pigs can never fly overseas, and even domestic travel is dangerous for them with Swine Flu so prevalent across the country, so our pigs will always stay with us. But they are happy, muddy, and safe for eternity.
Pamela (F) RIP🌈
Pamela is the newest, youngest and smallest pig addition to the SHS Residents group. Handed to us by a couple, after they realised that a pig really isn’t suitable for inner-city apartment living… who knew.
Don’t let Pamela’s small stature fool you, she is strong, both physically and in spirit. And will bowl you over if you’re blocking any sign of food.
Pamela knows her own mind, and it can’t be changed. She is as stubborn as they come, and keeps us all laughing.
Perry (M)
Perry was rescued as a small piglet in a wire cage, late at night, from the side of the road on our city’s bar street. It was as though he had been discarded with the trash.
He has grown triple in size the last couple of years, and is now the biggest of our piggy drove.
Like Percy, he has got used to the dogs, and does well with them, spending most of his day being nosy watching what everyone is doing.
Unfortunately Percy and himself will never be good friends, but they have a friendly rivalry, to be the top pig of the Safehouse.
Foxes
Simon (M)
Simon was only a tiny kit when he was rescued from the meat trade by local activists.
Sick with CDV he spent most of his first months in the clinics, he also was covered head to toe in mange, with thick scabs all over his body.
Simon has no idea that he is meant to be a wild animal, and having grown up around people and our animals from a young age, he is exceptionally tame. He would never survive in the wild.
He loves cats, and curling up and sleeping in the cattery, and playing fetch. He’s absolutely one of a kind.
Sylas (M)
Sylas came to us from Southern China, where he’d spent his whole life in a cage in an apartment.
Sadly his owner thought he would make a good domesticated pet. As a result of having little positive interaction with humans, Sylas is extremely shy.
But he still is reliant on life in captivity, having never had to fend for himself (not that we would trust him to be safe in the wild here either given the fur trade is extremely vast).
Sophia
Rescued alongside Sully, Sophia spent the start of her life living in a tiny cage outside.
Thankfully they now are able to live a safe life, away from the risk of the meat and fur trade, and spend everyday playing outside.
At the new Safehouse we are building, they will have a massive special enclosure built specially with enrichment activities and areas to keep the fun going 24/7 for them.
Dogs
Mr Big (M)
Mr Big was rescued from a meat truck headed for Yulin in 2018, intercepted in Changzhi. The same meat truck BB (below) was rescued from.
He was extremely sick with CDV, and had a massive abscess on his forehead, likely from a blunt force and the tiny crate he’d been shoved into for the truck. He wouldn’t let our vets anywhere near him, and for the first few months, we really struggled to make any progress with his reactivity. We believe he was likely used as a guard/yard dog, as often seen on factory sites etc. around China. So his human interactions would have never been pleasant, even without the trauma of the meat truck.
Slowly over time, though, he began to let his guard down, and we could start to show him there was more to life - being able to go out in the yards, being able to go for walks, we began seeing the soft side under his guarded front.
He even now has started to make friends, socialising with other dogs, and learning to play.
He’ll never be domesticated, but we know he is enjoying life to the limit.
Lizzie (F) RIP🌈
One of our inherited AAGZ rescues, Lizzie came to us in Winter 2019.
We aren’t too certain of her history, but her abusive past is clear. She is extremely fearful of people, and enjoys secret leg nibbling (where she runs behind you and nips your soft bits when you aren’t looking) to share her opinion and let you know.
We give her space, to try and reduce her anxiety and stress. She is great with other dogs, and loves her best friend, Kit, another resident dog, so often can be found shadowing him.
Like many of our residents, regular domestic life isn’t for Lizzie, but she thrives in our Safehouse environment, and knows her routine. She’s healthy, safe and loved.
Gadaffi (M)
Another of our inherited AAGZ rescues, Gadaffi came to join us in winter 2019.
When not glued to Brian’s side (one of our Safehouse team), Gadaffi can be found winding up whoever he can find. He thinks it’s absolutely hilarious, trotting around looking for whatever mischief he can find.
Gafaffi, just like Monster, wears his opinions on his sleeve, and if he doesn’t like something, you probably want to make sure you aren’t on the receiving end..! We believe he was likely abused by a previous owner, causing his strong reactivity, but he has found his the only person he cares for, in Brian.
He will never be suitable for a domestic home, but he seems very happy hanging out with his best friend everyday with us.
Felicity (F)
Felicity has been with us for a really long time, since Summer 2018. Rescued from a local shelter that was closing down, we took her along with 60 other dogs. Sadly Felicity is one of only three (Bella, above, is the other) to still remain with us unable to be rehomed.
She has clearly suffered severe abuse, and as a result doesn’t trust easily. She has her set routine though and has thrived at our Safehouse. She will always be a part of our team, and we are lucky to have her.
Scout (M)
Scout was rescued by AAGZ, a rescue based in Guangzhou which sadly closed in late 2019, resulting in all their rescues moving to us in Harbin.
It’s believed that Scout is an ex-military dog, extremely intelligent and clearly has been trained before, sadly previously some of his behaviour suggests he had been trained for attacking.
Thankfully whilst with us in Harbin, he’s proven to be an extremely loving and sweet boy, who just needs structure and a lot of time and mental stimulation, as common with Malanois Shepherds.
Because of his history, it was decided in his best interest for him to remain with us as a resident, to prevent him being put in any situation which might result in any accidents or incidents in public.
Xena (F)
We rescued Xena as a little tiny puppy 3 years ago, and were told that she would shortly pass away due to her hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain). They gave her 3 months to live…
We transported her to specialists in Beijing, to see if she could be eligible for a shunt, to allow the fluid to be drained, but sadly the damage was already too vast and it wasn’t a viable option.
However, Xena is still here, 3 years later, living happily, and pain-free. She will never fly, as the air pressure would be too much for her on the plane, but she has a good life in Harbin with us, and is such a sweet and loving girl.
Her hydrocephalus causes behavioural changes related to stimulants, such as food, but our team have learnt her triggers and she has her little routine which she loves.
Carl (M)
Carl, along with Pete, has been in our care the longest. Rescued in 2017 from a meat truck heading for Yulin, stopped in Guangzhou, Carl was in an awful state.
He had CDV and was covered in wounds head to toe. He was so petrified, he was on high alert and extremely aggressive, the vets couldn’t get anywhere near him. He was able to get better through his own strength and determination, and one day we just opened the kennel door at the clinic, and he came bounding out.
Something just clicked. He ran to us, and showed us he must have had a home before. He knew ‘sit’ and he just wanted to please. A strong bond formed but only with a couple of us who he knew he could trust. Sadly, his history meant he was still reactive to others, but we know that as long as he is with us, he is happy, confident, and himself. In our eyes he’s an absolute angel and can never do any wrong.
Koji (M)
Koji is one of our newest permanent residents. Rescued in the early summer of 2021, from a local slaughterhouse, he had already witnessed so much.
We don’t know anything about his life before he ended up in the meat trade, but we can imagine it wasn’t full of love. Although he has been doing better with humans, slowly building up trust, Koji has extreme reactivity to other animals, making it unsafe for him to be around other animals, including dogs, at any time.
Though he might be able to live in a domestic home eventually, he’ll never be able to live around other animals, which makes it very difficult to prepare to place him. So to keep him safe, we plan for him to remain with us, in his own safe, stress-free bubble, at the Safehouse.
Kit (M)
Kit was rescued by AAGZ in 2018, with a severely broken leg. He came to us with the rest of their dogs in winter 2019, after already having undergone surgery.
Sadly, due to the nature of the surgery and the old break, he has since had to undergo 2 further surgeries, but now seems stable and we are hoping it is the last, as spending any time at the vets is extremely stressful and upsetting for Kit, and he really struggles.
Kit clearly has suffered awfully at the hands of humans in his past, and as a result is extremely feral. We let him do his own thing, he loves the other dogs, playing with them outside all day, and shares a kennel with his friend Lizzie, another resident. He will never be ok in a domestic scenario, but he is happy, loved and safe with us, and that is all that we can ask for him.
Monster (M)
Monster was rescued by AAGZ, and is one of the many dogs we inherited when they closed in 2019, relocating their rescues to our Safehouse.
Monster knows what he likes and what he doesn’t like, and very happily and openly shares his opinions about everything.
If he likes you, he melts in your arms, belly in the air, begging for scratches and attention. If he decides he doesn’t, you will certainly be told! Which is fair…
Monster wont ever be suitable for a domestic home, and it wouldn’t be safe for us to put him into a situation where we couldn’t guarantee his or others safety if he was triggered. So he will stay as part of our forever pack, but he seems to be very happy with that.
Carrot (M)
Rescued as a puppy in Wuhan from a meat market in 2019, Carrot was one of a large litter, rescued together (including Knobby, another resident dog above).
Sadly, due to so much trauma in their start to life, all of the puppies suffered with anxiety, fear and reactivity.
Over time, they gradually learnt to trust, and some of the litter have even found themselves new families overseas, but sadly Carrot’s history remains raw, and he isn’t, and may never be, ready for a domestic home. Which is OK.
He knows his Safehouse routine, the people caring for him, and has lots of friends. He is happy, healthy and loved, and that’s the main thing.
Emma (F)
Emma came to us from a local shelter in late 2019, covered head to toe in mange, sores and scabs, with no a hair on her body. She has blossomed into a full personality.
Once she knows you, she is as sweet as can be, and butter wouldn’t melt. But you have to pass her tests first. Which include what we like to call the ‘Emma Olympics’:
- Getting through the yard without having your ankles shredded.
- Getting through the store room without having your ankles shredded.
- Getting through the kitchen without getting your ankles shredded and being told off.
Once you pass this test, she’s your best friend!
Ozzie (M)
Ozzie was rescued alongside Felicity and Bella (above) in 2018. The three of them are the only remaining rescues of 60, pulled from a local shelter closing down.
Sadly we don’t know much about Ozzie’s past, other than he was taken from a meat truck and placed in the local shelter. He must have suffered abuse though as he really does not trust or care for humans.
He is in permanent foster at Aimee’s house, where he seems to enjoy his routing and sunning himself. He is fondly known as the ‘wizard’ for his long luscious locks, particularly on his little hobbit feet.
Pete (M)
Pete, like Carl, has been with us the longest, and was one of our first ever residents.
Rescued from a Yulin meat truck, stopped in Guangzhou in June 2017, Pete has been with us almost 5 full years.
Pete has the most innocent face you will ever see, but a very dark past. A CDV survivor, the vets weren’t able to treat him, just like Carl and Mr Big, he was able to fight through with his own determination.
With a strong aversion to men, and an interest in targeting their nether-regions in particular, we believe he was likely severely abused by a man in the past. Thankfully over time he has learnt to trust our team, and those days are behind him.
He will always be a member of the Safehouse, but it’s what he’s known as his home for so long already, he knows he is safe, he knows he is loved, and he has a family with us.
Clive (M)
Clive has been with us since 2018, after he was left abandoned by his owners at one of the clinics. His owners claimed to just be going away on holiday and needed to board him for a week. The week turned into a month, and after almost 4 months, they finally admitted they had no intention of ever coming back for him.
It quickly came clear that his previous owners had been taunting him with food, in a cage, and as a result Clive is extremely resource reactive and unfortunately has hospitalised a few people, through no fault of his own, due to this. We have learnt his trigger, and what works and doesn’t work for him. He reacts how he does because of people, it is not his fault at the end of the day that he has been let down so badly.
Clive is a sweet and playful boy the majority of the time, and the resource difficulties are just a tiny part of who he really is. It’s heart-breaking seeing him age with us, but we know that he will never be safe to be rehomed in a domestic environment, and he is happy, and loves his Safehouse life.
Knobby (M)
Rescued as a puppy in Wuhan from a meat market in 2019, Knobby was one of a large litter, rescued together (including Carrot, another resident dog below).
Unfortunately because of their awful start to life, all of the puppies suffered greatly with fear, anxiety and reactivity. However, over time, some of them gradually learnt to let down their guard and trust again. Some of the litter even were able to be ready for going to new families overseas.
Sadly, Knobby (and Carrot) still are not ready for domestic life, and they still remember what they went through vividly, meaning they still don’t trust easily, and still shy away from human interaction, which we will never push on them.
Knobby enjoys and knows his Safehouse routine, the people caring for him, and has made lots of friends.
Bella (F)
In Summer 2018 we were called to a local shelter, which was closing down, asked to help take all of their 60+ animals into our care. Amongst them was Bella. Sadly she is one of just three from that rescue left with us today.
Bella must have suffered extreme abuse from her previous owner. She is extremely scared, reactive, and petrified of any human contact. Even after all this time, she still is wary of us, on the rare occasion she will allow XieLei (one of our Safehouse team members) to interact with her, but ordinarily we allow her distance, as it helps keep her stress and anxiety down.
Despite her understandable mistrust of humans, Bella absolutely loves other dogs. She can be found playing with the other dogs everyday in the big pack, with a waggy tail and a big smile on her face. And this is all that matters.
Guinness (M)
Guinness was rescued from a meat truck locally as a young teenage pup. He was sick with CCV and CPV but made it through.
We had plans for Guinness to go to the USA, but sadly his adopter fell through, as did the ability to send dogs to the USA due to the CDC ban.
Although we hope Guinness wont be a permanent resident forever, for now he is considered to be, as common with the breed, the longer Guinness has been with us the more territorial and guarding he has become of us and the Safehouse. The lack of new people being able to visit the Safehouse with Covid, means he hasn’t been as socialised as much as he was when he was younger, and for now we aren’t certain he would be confident in new environments with new people.
Though he is secretly a big soft bear, obviously we want to ensure we safeguard him, given his size and power. But for now, we are loving his company and attention.
Waffles (M)
Waffles was rescued by AAGZ, a rescue based in Guangzhou which sadly closed in late 2019, resulting in all their rescues moving to us in Harbin.
He has undergone multiple leg surgeries for an old break, resulting in a permanent plate being put in his leg. However, it requires ongoing maintenance and support. Waffles knows what he likes and what he doesn’t like, and although he has made amazing progress with our team and is now so comfortable that we can predict his behaviour, we have decided he would be best for now remaining under our care for his well-being.
Birds
Thelma (F)
Thelma was rescued alongside her friend, Louise, who sadly passed away in 2021.
They were rescued together from a local meat trader in 2020, almost featherless, unhealthy, and just feeling extremely sorry for themselves.
Now, Thelma’s plumes are glorious, and she enjoys a lovely chilled life at the Safehouse, where she’ll never be in harm’s way.
Dolly (F)
Dolly came to us in 2021 from a local meat truck passing through the villages, alongside Tony, a Samoyed.
Thankfully she was fit and healthy, and has gone from strength to strength since being rescued.
Her feathers have grown back, and we were so excited to see stunning deep blue feathers appear in her tail.
She loves paddling, and we can’t wait for her to have a permanent pond at the new Safehouse.
Small Animals
Boomer, Matilda, Jarrah and Russel (F,F,F,M)
Our sugar gliders were found in the trash outside Aimee’s apartment complex. The chances of Australian marsupials being abandoned outside on of only a handful of Australians in Harbin’s home…!
They are neutered, safe, happy, and now living out their lives at the Safehouse. We give them as much of a natural enclosure as possible, and a fresh diet, sadly as they are exotic and not native to China, they will always remain in captivity with us.
Cheesecake (F)
Cheesecake was being advertised for free in a tiny cage on a resident’s group. Destined to stay in a tiny filthy cage. He had lived in it all his life so far.
He’s now had a big upgrade, and will be safe and comfortable for the rest of his life.