jar Posts

Dec132011

Posted By
Nicki

China Charities for Christmas

It’s already mid-December and although we live in China, Christmas decorations have gone up around town and the local Carrefour and RT-Mart are playing Christmas music. Christmas is a time when many people like to give gifts to friends and family, but for expats in China it can be difficult to send gifts to whatever country (or countries!) our friends and families are living in. If you haven’t sent those gifts months ago, you can always shop online and hope the rush shipping will make it there on time…

There is another option for gift giving or even end of the year tax breaks though, and that’s giving to a charity. You can always donate in the name of your gift recipient, and while they might have enjoyed a physical present more, perhaps they’ll be just as grateful not to have to try to figure out how to regift that panda poop tea.

Jaiya’s Animal Rescue, hope for homeless animals in Shanghai

A before and after photo of a JAR rescued pup

During a conversation about the treatment of animals in China some time ago, I remember a friend saying, “what rights are animals going to have in a country that is still working out the rights of humans?” Anyone that’s ever been to a zoo in China knows just how true this is.

Fortunately, like all things in China, this is changing. Helping along that change in Shanghai is an altruistic group of volunteer animal rescuers called Jaiya’s Animal Rescue, or JAR for short. The nearly year-old organization was started by a woman named Julia and her husband Marvin, who was kind enough to answer some questions for this post.

Lost Laowai: Can you tell us a bit about why you started this organization? Who is Jaiya?

Marvin: My wife and I have always saved animals here in China wherever we were (different provinces). It was last year March 2009 that we both came up with the name in loving memory of our daughter ‘Jaiya Kristina’ who unfortunately died of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) on February 14th, 2009. We named the group JAR – Jaiya’s Animal Rescue.

We want to cooperate not only with foreigners, but also with the locals. We believe that with both foreign and local members working together to save animals in need (healing and finding them permanent homes), it is a good cause to be a part of.