‘Living hell’: Thousands of pets found dead in cardboard boxes

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Animal rescuers have reported a horrific scene at a Chinese shipping yard, describing a “living hell” of up to 5,000 dead pets in cardboard boxes.

The huge death toll was likely due to a lack of communication at the Henan province facilities.

Authorities have now launched an investigation into the horrific incident, in which only a fraction of the animals survived.

“The station was packed with express boxes with thousands of animals that had already died, and the whole place reeks of decomposing bodies,” Sister Hua, founder of the animal rescue group Utopia, told CBS News.

“It was like hell in life.”

The animals, including cats, dogs, guinea pigs, and rabbits, had breathing holes in their cardboard boxes, but had been without food or water for a week before being discovered at the Dongxing Logistics station in Luohe City.

“It was obvious that they died of suffocation, dehydration and starvation,” Hua told CBS.

She said she believed the animals were abandoned at the station because the logistics company involved refused to transport them.

Chinese law prohibits the transport of animals in normal packaging.

Lack of communication within the shipping company and inconsistent implementation of shipping regulations led directly to the tragedy, “Hua told CBS.” Of course, both buyers and sellers also have a responsibility. “

The company involved, Yunda, told the Global Times that they were not aware of the incident, but confirmed that the company allows express delivery of live animals. “Animals are transported in boxes with holes,” they said.