A courageous and heartwarming story emerged when a pup almost faced euthanasia but managed to withstand the cruelty of the butcher. The little dog, only four months old, trembled with fear as she saw her fellow canines being mercilessly slaughtered for their meat. Despite the cries and screams of her furry companions, Sanie refused to give up hope. Suddenly, a twist of fate occurred that changed her destiny forever.
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Michael Chour, the founder of The Sound of Animals, a charitable organization dedicated to saving dogs from the meat trade in Southeast Asia, visited a slaughterhouse in Phnom Penh, Cambodia where he found Sanie and two other dogs caged. Despite his efforts to convince the owner to give him all three dogs, the owner declined to surrender two of them as they had already been sold. Nonetheless, he allowed Chour to take Sanie with him after claiming that it would bring him good karma.
Upon seeing Sanie’s fear, Chour decided to enter the cage with her in order to gain her trust. The Dodo reported that Sanie was snarling and shaking, but Chour approached her carefully and allowed her to sniff his hand. When Chour softly stroked Sanie’s head, she froze, possibly thinking he would harm her. However, Chour remained patient and spoke to her gently, reassuring her that she was safe. Sanie seemed to understand and allowed Chour to pick her up while placing his hand beneath her belly.
Chour reminisced about the time when he emerged from the cage and Sanie, who was still fearful, fixated her gaze on the butcher. Nonetheless, as Chour turned his back on the butcher, Sanie sought comfort in him by leaning against him and placing her head under his. From that moment on, Sanie craved Chour’s proximity and clung to him tightly. Despite Chour’s attempt to put her down at the vet facility, Sanie refused to detach herself from him.
According to Chour, Sanie might have had a previous home in Cambodia but was later taken from her family’s property and sold to a slaughterhouse. Chour doubts the possibility of finding Sanie’s original owner but he has assured her safety and his efforts in finding her a new home. Chour also stated that Sanie understands the affection he shows towards her as dogs are intelligent creatures.
Once the veterinarian checked Sanie, Chour brought her back to Blue Dream, the shelter of his group. There, she would join other dogs saved from the meat industry. Chour shared that he had a friend named Bear who also came from a slaughterhouse rescue. Bear would help Sanie learn how to love and trust again. Chour’s wish is for Sanie to find a new home with a European family. He mentioned that they were able to send two dogs to England, and they are now living comfortably.
Sanie is secure, but Chour is determined to keep rescuing dogs from the cruel meat industry. Although he is based in Thailand, Chour regularly travels to Cambodia to assist with the canine rescue efforts. Chour recently spent five days in Cambodia, where he observed the gruesome reality of the dog meat trade and documented it to raise awareness. Despite feeling saddened by what he saw, Chour’s spirits were lifted by Sanie, the rescued dog who has become his source of inspiration to carry on with his mission.