TWO helpless dogs which were destined for slaughterhouses in China have been given a second chance after being rescued and adopted by a kind-hearted couple.

Stacey Carvalho, 39, lives in St Osyth with her husband, Filipe, 30, and their three children, Jade, Jess and Max.

Over the past year, however, the young family’s home has started to get a little more cramped due to the addition of two furry friends.

Izzy, an Irish Setter, and Teddy, a Miniature Poodle, were all retrieved by the Plush Bears Shelter - a non-profit animal rescue organisation.

The group works to save dogs and cats from meat markets and slaughterhouses in Baicheng, in China, where domestic animals are part of the menu.

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After being made aware of the cruelty these animals can suffer at the hands of some meat dealers, Mrs Carvalho decided to only adopt dogs from the shelter.

In addition to Izzy and Teddy, the family had also rehomed a German Shepherd called Maggie, but she died in January after battling an aggressive form of skin cancer.

Mrs Carvalho said: “It is devastating to leave the dogs behind, but sometimes they have to choose dogs from a huge pen and leave some of them there.

“Knowing what a horrific death they will have is heart-breaking and this is why I ended up with three and will most likely get even more.

“Lots of people think they only eat dogs at the Yulin Festival in China but they are eaten all year round.

“I am genuinely so shocked when people don’t know about what goes on.”

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The dogs which are rescued are often ill and must remain in quarantine for a period of time to prevent the spread of disease.

On all three occasions, Mrs Carvalho and her family have had to wait up to six months before their new pets have been allowed into the country and their homes.

But despite their troubled pasts, Izzy and Teddy have both settled into domestic life.

Mrs Carvalho said: “Izzy is literally the happiest dog and she comes everywhere with us.

“She loves her toys and chasing her ball and running on the beach – she has totally embraced her new home.

“Teddy was the most nervous and he also has brain damage which is most likely from being hit we think.

“He shakes a lot and is nervous outside but he is slowly improving. He loves his home comforts and he wants to be cuddled all day.

“I also now work with the shelter too and we follow trucks from the meat market to the slaughterhouses to try to buy the whole truck load.

“Sometimes we can rescue as many as 100 dogs every time.”

To find out more about the Plush Bear Shelter visit plushbearshelter.org.