Animal-loving China woman sacrifices life in US with daughter to shelter 2,470 stray dogs and cats, incurs US$70,000 in debt over 15 years
- Woman owns clothing store, closes business to open animal shelter
- Spends all her time saving strays, anxious about cost of feeding animals
The story of a 66-year-old woman in China who has run up debts of 500,000 yuan (US$70,000) to save thousands of stray dogs and cats has captivated mainland social media.
Animal-lover Dong Shuzhen, from Shandong province in eastern China, has run a shelter for about 15 years.
As a result of providing a home for animals she is constantly in debt and even gave up the chance of moving to the United States to live with her daughter, Sohu News reported.
In a video, a pack of dogs is seen having fun in a fenced-off yard. When Dong enters, they run to greet her.
Dong, who used to own a clothing store, began feeding stray dogs and cats long before setting up the shelter.
“I want them to eat and live better,” Dong said, adding that the cost of running the shelter can reach as much as 1,800 yuan (US$250) a day.