Animal lover sets up shelter on shoe-string budget

Wei Hongzhuo can't remember how many lost, abandoned and injured dogs and cats she has rescued over the past six years. Wei currently keeps more than 30 stray dogs and 20 cats in the shelter she established in an abandoned industrial plant.

In her regular job, she is a staff member at a State-owned enterprise in Changchun, Jilin province.

"I can only take care of them in my spare time after work," she said. "Thanks to the help of volunteers, they get good care."

To judge the health status of the animals and treat them in a timely and accurate way, Wei has studied hard on her own to learn what they need.

"Sometimes I spent several hours on a livestreaming app sharing stories about the animals, hoping to find a warm home for each of them," she said. "My sharing attracted more than 40 volunteers to my shelter."

Wei spends almost all of her salary on the animals' upkeep, which costs about 10,000 yuan ($1,540) a month.

"We also sell pet supplies, and all the profits are put into the shelter," she said. "At the same time, we are hoping to cooperate with some animal hospitals to provide regular diagnosis and treatment for strays, as well as reduce our financial burden."