@Peter, the ladies spoke Kunming hua- and it was very difficult to get to, a long journey, and hard to understand their local dialect. Thanks for your suggestions, I would be happy to take part in something like this, just sad to see so many dogs living like this. I'm glad helping them is a growing trend.

Probably the concept of dog shelters, adopting the dog, accepting charities, and so on... as in West, has not been introduced to China.

You could be the pioneer. If not in a leading role, then team up with someone. You could make a documentary movie/book about the whole process too.

Check how this is done in Australia, US, Europe. In fact, even in Japan they got these animal adoption shelters and accept international volunter workers there.

Sorry if it sounds like Im pushing a bit, its not that personal, just trying to state the fact that its possible people in Yunnan got no clue about how it _could_ be done. Tell them it can bring in some money too and they will be interested and start calculating, whether to sell the dogs to mixian place or engage in adoption.

Mi Xian!!?? They put dog meat in mi xian!!?? Yes I would be up for the challenge for sure. Thanks for the suggestion

Did you talk to these people much about what they are trying to accomplish and what they want to do?

I'm not sure if this is the same place my wife went when we were looking to adopt a dog. She went to a place near Xishan and described a similar scene. But the women who ran the place were more interested in soliciting donations than in finding homes for the dogs.

If they have good intentions, not just trying to be kind, but something constructive they would like to do to help the situation if they had more resources, then you could always consider organizing a fundraising or adoption event.

I would be wary of directing any adoption drive at foreigners though. Most of the Western foreigners in Kunming tend to only stay for a short time. I've seen lots of them get pets, only to have to rehome them down the line when they go home, maybe because of the expense of bringing the pet home, or because they already have a pet waiting for them there. Sure, that situation would be better than a crowded, filthy shelter or life as a stray, but it would be even better to find owners who will provide permanent homes for the dogs.

Yes, I'm not sure where to advertise in Kunming, open to suggestions. I will organise an adoption drive for sure. Not sure what their intentions were, but I don't wish to make assumptions. Yes, anything would be better than that place :'(

XiaoCoco,
I have shared the dogs on my wechat. If there's anything else you'd like me to do, please let me know.

Good luck!

Seems to me you should contact those Buddhist organizations that oppose the killing of animals and meat-eating, as their focus is, rightly I think, not dog-meat in mixian but any meat in mixian - matter of philosophical Compassion rather than merely personal liking of one kind of animal rather than another, and this is a perspective that is not new in Buddhist culture, including Chinese Buddhist culture, although it certainly isn't predominant. From this perspective, the rather common western focus on dogs seems odd. And the manner of raising pigs for market in many places - perhaps especially in the West, I'm not too sure how pigs are raised in China, beyond those in a typical small-farmer's yard - puts the plight of the dogs that you are presently concerned with in a better light. And if it's animal intelligence that you deem significant, note that pigs are about as intelligent as dogs - they're just not as cute.

The extreme materialism is also prevalent among many buddhist monks, as a generalization, they hardly make much of an exception. The mere difference is saying "amituofo" before any deed or acceptance of a donation. Besides that a good deal of monks do eat meat. It may also be an image thing, being associated with dogs is not much of a face thing for a monk. Being called a dog is a grave insult in Asia.

Right, Peter, about what those attached to religious schools, Buddhist or otherwise, actually do, as opposed to their stated principles - hypocrisy, as well as lying to oneself (Bad Faith), is everywhere - but despite this I think there are people who are serious about their beliefs, and/or using their reason to work out what they really are, and acting on them.
Meanwhile, of course, the dogs are waiting for something that actually works, and not just good intentions.
But sorry, xiaococo, I'm currently busy with other stuff, and I have no excuses.

Alien, not only any meat in mixian (or baozi, xiaolongbao, etc.), a week ago, or so, there was a story on tv about chopping wet cardboard-boxes as meat substitute to xiaolongbao in shanghai. You just added meat powder on the chopped cardboard box and it worked out fine.