Q: Could you briefly introduce yourself? How long have you been with Quanxin Quanyi, and when did you start volunteering?

A: I’m the founder of Quanxin Quanyi. If I count from the first time I rescued an animal, it has been 16 years. If I count from when I began working full-time in animal rescue, it has been since 2015—about 11 years now.

Q: Looking back over these 16 years, what moment has left the deepest impression on you?

A: There have been countless unforgettable moments. One of the most meaningful is successfully rescuing an animal in an extremely difficult situation and watching it regain a chance at life.

Another is seeing rescued animals settle into adoptive families. The contrast between their lives before and after adoption is incredible—they go from being abandoned, injured, and uncared for to living in loving homes. Those transformations are deeply moving.

Because we have limited staff, we’ve documented some of the most memorable rescue stories on our WeChat public account. If you search for the keyword “Stories,” you’ll find many of these cases.

Q: Do adopters keep you updated on how their dogs are doing?

A: Yes. We regularly follow up with adopters, and many of them are eager to share updates on their own. Some send us photos and videos without us even asking.

Animal rescue has always been challenging. In China today, whether it’s funding, manpower, or public awareness, rescue work is demanding both physically and emotionally.

But whenever adopters tell us their dogs are thriving, it reminds us why we do this. Especially during the most exhausting times, seeing these animals living happy lives makes every effort worthwhile. I think every rescuer feels the same way.

Q: About how many animals do you rescue each year?

A: It’s actually very difficult to give an exact number.

In the early days, before we became Quanxin Quanyi, we were known as Shenzhen 120. Back then, we tried to rescue every stray dog we came across.

Things are very different today. As the pet industry has expanded, irresponsible breeding and weak regulation have led to increasing numbers of abandoned purebred dogs. We now regularly rescue Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Alaskan Malamutes, and other breeds that were much less common years ago.

Because of this, we can no longer take in every animal ourselves. Instead, we hope to encourage more members of the public to become involved. When someone finds a stray animal, we provide guidance and support, but we also believe that animal rescue should be a shared social responsibility.

For that reason, there isn’t a fixed annual number of rescues.

Q: Approximately how many animals have been rescued and adopted through your organization over the years?

A: Our adopter community now includes around 2,500 families, and that doesn’t even include the families from our early QQ group days.

In addition to finding homes for animals we rescue ourselves, Quanxin Quanyi also helps other qualified rescuers place animals for adoption. Our requirements include mandatory spaying or neutering and an adoption deposit to ensure adopters share our values and commitment.

Altogether, we estimate that around 2,000 to 3,000 animals have found permanent homes through our platform over the years.

I’ve worked alongside my rescue partner for 11 years. Before 2022, the two of us personally shared both the financial costs and the rescue work. If we only count the animals we rescued ourselves, that number has already exceeded 1,000.

Our philosophy has always been to rescue while rehoming. Rescue and adoption need to work together in a sustainable cycle. Without successful adoptions, we would need an enormous shelter just to keep operating.

Q: Is there anything unique about animal adoption in Shenzhen?

A: One interesting feature of Shenzhen is that mixed-breed dogs and Chinese native dogs have a remarkably high adoption rate—among the highest in China.

I think this is closely related to Shenzhen being a city of migrants. Many young people grew up with their grandparents, whose families often kept native village dogs or mixed breeds. As adults, they carry those childhood memories and emotional connections with them, making them more willing to adopt these dogs.

One volunteer, for example, adopted two Chinese native dogs from us. Whenever he talked about how his childhood dog had been forcibly taken away and killed, he couldn’t hold back his tears—even though he was already in his thirties. That experience stayed with him throughout his life. Eventually, he became one of our volunteers and adopted two dogs himself.

There are many stories like his. Because Shenzhen brings together people from all over the country, many residents share similar memories, giving more ordinary mixed-breed dogs the opportunity to find loving homes.

Q: Some people say that life is already stressful enough. Why should anyone devote time and energy to rescuing stray animals?

A: I wouldn’t say people are struggling just to survive, but today’s environment is certainly different from the past. Work, daily life, and employment all come with greater pressures, and many people are already doing their best just to manage their own lives.

Even so, someone has to keep doing this work. While we no longer have the capacity to rescue every animal we encounter as we once did, we will continue helping as much as we can.

At the same time, we hope more young people will get involved. If you have the time and ability, we encourage you to join us. Animal rescue should never be the responsibility of only a small group of people—it requires the participation and compassion of the wider community.