Homeless Dogs in China

Yan would occasionally encounter stray dogs aimlessly roaming the streets of China. They seemed to increase in numbers during the hot summer days. She would bring them a bottle of water and a small dish. Most of them would drink the water immediately and then be on their way. 

There was always one little puppy who seemed to frequent the area. Yan would catch glimpses of her by the train station, in the outdoor shopping center, but she was never able to get close to her. That was until the third day of seeing her. Yan quickly bought a sandwich at Starbucks to give to her. The dog smelled her, took a few generous mouthfuls, drank some water, and laid down.

Yan purchased a leash for the puppy at a nearby pet shop. The dog was still wandering the streets when she came out of the store. Although she had accepted Yan's food, she was still too wary of the woman to remain close to her. Yan was worried that she was going to scare the dog away so she went home. The next evening, she returned with a gesture of friendship: mutton and water. Although it was 5 PM, the ground was still hot and yet the dog was lying down. The dog ate a couple pieces of lamb. Yan made a hesitant attempt to scratch her ear. She didn't object so Yan continued to pet her. She rolled over onto her back, belly up. After more than three hours, Yan was finally able to put the leash on the dog. A young lady passing by took her to a pet hospital she was familar with.

Yan didn't have a name for the dog when she filled out the form so she wrote "Boa" for the time being. After several tests, Yan learned that the dog was around 2 years old, fully vaccinated, had a skin disease and worms. The vet gave Yan a bottle of medicinal shampoo and medicine to get rid of the worms. Yan took her home and bathed her. 

Yan came up with a new, much more fitting name for this strong and memorable dog: Mulan. 


Mulan had been just one of the several dogs Yan would proceed to rescue. The stray dogs come from both Germany (where Yan lives) and China (where her parents live). 

Meet this beautiful little boy: Bond (as in James Bond). Yan had found him roaming the outdoor market near her parent's home. 
When she purchased the timid pup some food, she saw a glimmer of something in his eyes. It was excitement, the same kind of look a dog had when their master came home. This look quickly disappeared. He possessed the helplessness of a infant. She slowly reached out to pet him. She could feel that his fur was very dirty and that he had bite marks around his neck. Yan took him home. 

A month after she first rescued him, he has since become much more happy and strong. Like a young child, Bond is rambunctious and likes to stir up mischief. 

Meet A-Gump: from the looks of his most recent photos, you would have never guessed he was so frail and afraid. 


Similar to Mulan, he had a very painful skin disease when Yan first found him. He was so afraid of people that he wouldn't let anybody approach him. His skin was flaking off in patches. 


Gradually, he began to trust Yan. She had actually rescued him around the same time as Mulan and the two became fast friends. His skin disease seemed to improve day by day and his golden coat began to return. 


Finally there is Leo, Nanci, and Bruno. The three of them lived together under a bridge near the train station. 

(Leo)
(Nanci)
(Bruno)

They would get by on the leftover lunches that commuters would feed them. Yan predicted that they had been living at the underpass for around a year when she first found them. Their fur was matted and possessed clumps that were as hard as rocks. They were not eating an adequetely nutritious diet and were constantly suffering from diarrhea. The fur near their butt was a mess: clumps of poop clung. 

Sometimes the three were seen together, sometimes seperately. Yan took them home in the order that she encountered them.

She had named the gray puppy 'Leo' after the star sign because he was the pack leader of the group and especially in charge of Bruno. He loves to play and cuddle with Yan. The only shortcoming of Leo is that he is so afraid of any pain including vaccinations and toenail trimming. Every ordeal is accompanied by his crying and seemingly swearing and grumbling under his breath. 

The three children have adapted well to life with Mulan and Yan. 

These dogs all stay in foster care at the animal hospital whenever Yan must fly back to Germany for work. Whenever she visits her parents, she takes all of them home for homecooked meals, playtime, etc. She is also actively searching for forever families for these dogs to become apart of. When they are in foster care, however, they have to stay in crates due to limited space. 



The money for spaying/neutering, vet visits, medicine, food, shelter, etc. is all coming from Yan's pocket.
What she is doing in her spare time is incredibly noble and admirable. and I, Cynthia Zhang, want to help her out as much as I could.
All of these medical bills, food, toys, and other necessities come at a hefty price. The proceeds of this GoFundMe will go towards Yan's rescue effort. She is taking care of all of these puppies until she is able to find them a forever family. 

My family is even adopting Leo!


A donation, no matter how big or small, would be incredibly helpful. Yan, Mulan, A-Gump, Bond, Leo, Nanci, Bruno, and I greatly appreciate your help. 

Thank you kind souls.