In the past, most stray dog shelters were located near towns and villages, because the conflict between dogs and humans had gradually intensified, leading to the rapid establishment of several shelters.
However, in pastoral villages near River Source, because the area is so vast, those stray dogs don't really bother humans much, but rather cause trouble for animals.
The previous neglect was because driving aimlessly into the protected area to catch dogs just for them wasn't feasible. But now that they have been caught and sterilized, it seems somewhat inappropriate to release them back.
This was also the point Chen Ying discussed with Professor Bai; however, it is impossible for a private individual to fence off such a large area for a shelter, so ultimately, it's still necessary for local institutions to step in to handle this matter.
Chen Ying checked his phone, and no one had informed him whether the shelter could be completed, and they couldn't keep the stray dogs confined in the emergency and protection stations indefinitely. Releasing them back seemed to be something they had no choice but to do.
The turning point came at seven in the evening.
Xiao Mei, a staff member from a public welfare organization that had visited previously, brought over two clerks from the local town to check the situation.
They arrived just past seven, and Chen Ying was performing surgery on a Tibetan Fox whose leg had been broken by a car.
Although releasing it back may likely mean it becomes someone else's food, it has to be saved, and they can deal with the aftermath later.
The Tibetan Fox didn't have any other injuries besides the broken hind leg.
After the surgery, Chen Ying sent it to a separate compartment to recover.
Every three days, when supplies, medical instruments, and medicines are sent over from the center, animals unsuitable for recovery there are taken away.
Sun Qihai took Xiao Mei and the two clerks for a tour of the temporary dog pen. The dogs were energetic, barking all over the place.
Previously, Red Lion wanted to roar, but later it was taught a lesson by these dozens of dogs, to the point of a hoarse throat.
In the end, it was Black Gold and Red Cotton that bit its ear and forced it away.
If Red Lion's parents came over, they might have been able to intimidate this group of stray dogs a bit, but this little guy, Red Lion, dared to charge into the dog pen, and the stray dogs dared to chew it up as a snack.
As powerful as the Mastiff King is, before it grows up, it's just a small kalama.
After counting the number of dogs to be released this time and taking a few photos, the two clerks and Xiao Mei found a place to chat for about half an hour. After Chen Ying finished deworming the newly born stray puppies, they also finalized the release location.
"The government has rented twenty acres of land, and four herders d ten acres of their winter pastures, totaling thirty acres, to build a stray dog shelter center. This batch of stray dogs is the first batch to move in, and subsequently, we will arrange for stray dogs that have been sterilized to enter the shelter center."
Xiao Mei showed Chen Ying and the others the roughly constructed shelter, which was not small and divided into four areas.
The quarantine area, mixed breeding area, puppy area, and adoption waiting area.
Each area has specific personnel responsible, and the adoption waiting area is where the dog chosen by an adopter will be sent for deworming, grooming, and vaccination after a decision to adopt is confirmed.
"Adopters don't need to pay money, but they are required to ten pounds of dog food, with no upper limit."
This plan was provided to ease the pressure on the stray dog shelter.
In some areas, when adopting stray dogs, the shelter even gifts dog food and vaccines.
Chen Ying had no real understanding of these operations and didn't give arbitrary commands; after suggesting a few things about the dog facility, he remained silent.
The truck used to transport the dogs was coordinated by the local department. Once the dogs were loaded, they'd arrive at the dog facility and release the dogs onto the open ground by opening the truck door facing the gate.
Walls and iron railings were constructed around the dog facility, with a simple house specifically for cooking and feeding dogs.
Prior to this, Chen Ying was only responsible for rescuing wild animals, and the wildlife rescue stations everywhere basically had everything needed, never having seen such harsh conditions as those of a stray dog shelter.
Yet, even in harsh conditions, at least the dogs could eat daily, with shelters along the walls to block wind and rain, as well as dry straw to keep them warm, all much better than exposure to the wild elements.
The task of sending the dogs to the shelter was handled by Sun Qihai and a female student from the research station connected to the welfare organization. Before they left, Chen Ying grabbed Xiao Mei and handed her a simple handbag.
"Here's twenty thousand, my personal donation, to buy some food and winter supplies for the dogs."
Xiao Mei wanted to refuse, but the glaring number on the public account made her clutch the handbag tightly.
"Thank you, Dr. Chen, I'll bring you a receipt later."
Under the witness of the two clerks, Xiao Mei wrote Chen Ying a receipt, but she still needed to turn it into a formal invoice later.
Besides Chen Ying, the interns and several colleagues from the livestock station also d a little.
No amount is too small, whether ten or twenty, or one hundred or two hundred.
Xiao Mei diligently recorded every donation and gave them a deep bow before leaving.
When Ci Ren returned from the shelter side, he found Chen Ying and said that he and his cousin had already made contact, and they hoped Chen Ying could go over there as soon as possible.
"Ci Ren, did you tell Xiao Mei about this? Can your cousin's stray dogs also be sent over?"
"Yes, they can, but we need to have the dogs sterilized in advance before sending them over."
This is certain; without sterilization, if any unsterilized dogs got into such a large facility, next year they'd be dealing with countless puppies.