The Monmouth County SPCA has rescued nine dogs from the Yulin Dog Meat Festival in China, where an estimated 10,000 dogs are eaten each year.

The festival began back in 2009, but over the years, it's been the focus of severe outrage on social media, and organizations worldwide have stepped in to help rescue dogs on their way to consumption at the festival.  

Chinese activists helped stop a truck heading to the festival.

No Dogs Left Behind rescued hundreds of dogs, and in a video, the same dogs at the Monmouth County SPCA were also rescued off the truck.

Several have already been adopted, but there are still more waiting for a loving home

“A lot of the people don't accept this practice any longer and that's why the Yulin Festival was created,” says Ross Licitra, Director of the Monmouth County SPCA. “It was created to try to bring it up again and so many people understand these animals are companions and they live with us in the part of our families. Having them be tortured and eaten the way they are is just really not right.”

They say it takes at least a year to retrain the dogs and calm them down enough after rescue before they're ready for adoption.

For more information, click here – or head to the Monmouth County SPCA website.