Coronavirus: Pets abandoned by fleeing owners are now starving to death or being killed by authorities in Wuhan
Hundreds of cats and dogs, who were abandoned in the city of Wuhan during the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, are now being ruthlessly executed by the Chinese authorities, reports have revealed. Many starving pets had been left alone in houses and apartments after their fearful owners had fled the coronavirus stricken city.
Wendy Higgins, the Director of international media at Humane Society International, shared, "We know that many dogs and cats have been left behind in apartments in Wuhan, in particular, when residents were evacuated," reports the Sun.
"Estimates are impossible, but we do know that in Wuhan, for example, animal activists have assisted with animals in upwards of 1,000 apartments. So, the numbers nationwide will be significant," Higgins added. According to reports by CNN, those who had left their pets behind had only left enough food and water to last a few days.
While some of the pets and animals have been rescued by animal welfare activists, several others were starved to death or reportedly killed off. According to Vshine Animal Protection Association, a China-based animal welfare group, tens of thousands of animals were left to die.
Deng Fang who is the chief of staff for Vshine said, "Things can get worse if the epidemic remains uncontrolled."
Chinese officials have been rounding up animals and executing them in a bizarre attempt to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Many false fears over pets contracting the virus circulated after a Chinese health expert claimed that animals needed to be quarantined. Many community officers in cities across China went door to door and ordered residents to hand their pets over to them before killing them.
Some pets found abandoned in homes were also reportedly executed. Local media stated that some pets were thrown off apartment buildings in a bid to kill them off. Reports of five cats being thrown off an apartment in Shanghai was just one among many such reports of animals being flung off high rise buildings.