Dogs die from heatstroke at opening of Shanghai pet show
Large queues and alleged poor crowd management combined with heatwave proved a deadly combination for some animals
At least two out of 10 dogs suffering from heatstroke died at Saturday’s opening of the 19th Pet Fair Asia as a heatwave descended on Shanghai, a mainland news website reports.
A bulldog and a golden retriever died in the long queue outside the exhibition centre in Pudong district, the fair organiser told Thepaper.cn.
The event had drawn about 60,000 visitors, many of whom brought their pets. Many had queued up with their pets hours before the doors opened at 9am, and many who arrived later complained of having to wait more than over an hour in 35-degree Celsius heat to get in.
The golden retriever, who was seen earlier lying on the ground surrounded by people helping it to cool down, died later.