For some Beijing pets, it's a cold and lonely winter. Animal abandoments spike during the holidays in the capital. Xie Zheng, of Don't Eat Friends gives us the lowdown on how to help furry friends in need.

Why do animal abandonments spike during the holidays?
During summer or winter school holidays, some students abandon pets they’ve been keeping in their dormitories because they can’t take their pets with them when they go home. During the Chinese national holidays, some people abandon pets because they head home for extended periods of time and there is no one to take care of them if they leave them in Beijing.

How big is the problem?
Pretty bad. Every month Don’t Eat Friends rescues about 27 cats and 5 dogs that were abandoned or found as strays.

What do people need to know about adopting or fostering pets?
Understand the tragic circumstances under which these animals exist. People should realize that adopting or fostering a pet is an opportunity for love, not only for pets, but also for people.

What’s the biggest challenge in rescuing pets in Beijing?
The general public has very little understanding of the situation of these pets. NGOs have no way of obtaining stable financial support and cannot maintain full-time staff dedicated to these efforts.

So, how can we get involved with Don’t Eat Friends?
We welcome all volunteers, and will match them with real opportunities to help within our organization.

Email: biechipengyou@126.com