Owner rescues lost dog from slaughterhouse (2)

"The workers called up helpers from two nearby restaurants that serve dog meat. There were about 20 of them," he told the Global Times.

The workers pushed police officers and tried to block them from taking the remaining dogs away, Gavin said.

"The officers eventually had to call in an armed police unit to quell the workers," Gavin said.

Hou Jianhua, a press officer with Minhang police, confirmed that there was a dispute between the slaughterhouse workers and residents Sunday, but refused to provide details.

The woman later got her dog back because it had a microchip imbedded under its skin that proved it was a legally registered pet, Gavin said. She also had a certificate that showed she was the dog's owner.

Police confiscated another husky and a Pomeranian at the site. Gavin said his animal protection group believes those dogs also belong to residents. He noted that there were tranquilizer darts at the slaughterhouse.