One-hundred-seventy-four foxes rescued from a fur farm have been rehomed at a Buddhist sanctuary.

The white foxes were rescued in China by animal activist BoHe, who has devoted her life to saving animals. She operates a rescue shelter in Mudanjiang, housing over 2,700 dogs, many rescued from the dog meat trade. She also has garnered the support of dozens of dedicated volunteers, including Karen Gifford, an animal rescuer who raises awareness about and garners support for BoHe’s rescue efforts.

Sharing videos and photos online, Gifford updated people about the fox rescue mission. The animals are “born in the spring and skinned in the winter,” Gifford said on Facebook. “It’s horrifying for sure.”

She revealed that BoHe and her supporters were able to rescue the animals after learning that farmers were closing their fur business due to lack of profit. Rather than donating the foxes to a sanctuary, the farmers had been skinning the animals alive and feeding their meat to other foxes, Gifford said.

Domestic Breeding

Since the animals were never wild – they were domestically bred before being killed at a young age – they cannot be set free. Instead, the animals will live out their lives on a sanctuary, surrounded by nature and monks.

Gifford’s posts show the animals being released from small cages into the Buddhist Jilin Nursing Garden in Mudanjiang, China, which will act as a temporary home until an adequate enclosure is built for them.

“Tears of joy!!! Omg omg omg can you imagine???” she captioned the posts, adding that now “these foxes will be safe from harm and fed for the rest of their lives! These precious creatures now being able to run and play and live.”

One video shows a Buddhist monk kneeling beside the foxes in prayer.

Gifford is helping BoHe to raise money to buy dog food to feed the rescued animals. In a statement, BoHe said that soon they will be out of food for the foxes. She begged animal lovers to take fewer taxi rides and pass on cigarettes and instead use any extra money to donate to the cause. “Saving lives is easier than protecting lives. Protecting virtues are equally important,” BoHe said.