I Am Shunjie.
BEJING CHINA
In One Moment
It was such an ordinary day much like all the days before that one. Shunjie woke up that morning, rushed to feed the dogs their usual meal, made sure they were set up for the day, and dashed to her scooter to get it warmed up for travel.
That day was her “odd job” day. She had to take on extra work to supplement her meager income, so she could continue to care for her dogs. She had rescued each and everyone by herself.
She never complained, but she hated to have to leave them alone. She always worried about them. She was always thinking about them. But, this was payday for her job today and they needed more food.
She rode her scooter to her job and, when she finished, she reminded herself she needed to get to the store to buy kibble. She had to get to the store before it closed. So she pushed her speed to the limit.
That’s when the unthinkable happened--one moment she was riding her scooter and the next moment she was hit by a bus and the next moment she was dead at 48 years old.
Her name was Shunjie.
Shunjie was one of those quiet people. She spent the last ten years of her time on this earth rescuing and caring for the dogs who she found along the way. She followed the path that her heart laid for her and she did it all by herself. She was devoted to her rescues and used much of her meager resources to care for them. She lived humbly among them.
In the wake of Shunjie’s tragic death, WOA decided to take the opportunity to bring together many other Shunjies and pay respect, honor, and dignity for what they do.
A silent virtual candle vigil was held online by a loose group of animal rescuers across the globe in unison to remember Shunjie and her important work. WOA Foundation just couldn’t let this rescuer’s story and life’s work go unnoticed
View the Video on Facebook: Shunjie’s Tribute
51 Dogs
From a cultural perspective, most Chinese people look down on animal rescuers in China. They get little respect in society and are mostly shunned by friends and family. They are called “crazy” or “mentally challenged.” The result is a strange sort of isolation--surrounded by animals, but very few people. Rapid urbanization has added another layer of stress to their lives, resulting in frequent moving of the shelters and an uncertain future.
There is no government funding for their work and very little help available in their local communities. This is a hard life by any standards. It affects the rescuers physically, mentally, and emotionally. As one of our supporters said so well on a Facebook comment: “...there is a special place in heaven for Chinese rescuers.”
Shunjie left behind 51 dogs who were waiting for her to come home.
WOA takes action.
Upon hearing the news, our volunteers rushed to her shelter to offer care and security for the dogs she left behind. In addition, other shelters offered their help by taking four of her dogs. So, we are now caring for a total of 47 dogs. Acting in emergency response mode: we bought kibble, hired a kennel worker, and set up a tarp tent for shade.
Our team got this done in a frenzy because a second COVID 19 wave was on it's way in Beijing. Shunjie’s shelter is just outside Beijing and now it is extremely difficult to travel between Beijing and Shunjie’s shelter. But, luckily, we made the deadline and are well-supplied with plenty of kibble and the new worker is fantastic. The dogs are calm now.
We’ll take it to the finish line, Shunjie.
When international flights resume, we will fly all 47 dogs to the US for adoption. We know Shunjie is smiling from heaven knowing her dogs are well-cared for, safe, and secure.
WOA Foundation is accepting donations for the continued care and eventual transportation and adoption in the US. Please contact us if you are interested in adopting one of Shunjie’s dogs.