Meet the Two Tianjin Sisters Sacrificing It All to Shelter Unwanted Animals – and How You Can Help

Joey Knotts, Contributing Editor | Nov 26, 2019 2:00 pm | Add a comment | 1373 reads

In Tanggu, a coastal district of Tianjin, over 100 dogs and 20 cats live on a farm with two sisters, Da Gaojie and Xiao Gaojie, who have given up everything they have in order to care for them. Feeding and medicating that many animals is more than a full-time job, and the sisters rely on the generosity of donors and volunteers to keep their shelter going. Amanda, a Brazilian expat who lives in Tianjin, is one such volunteer and travels to meet with the sisters on a regular basis to help with chores and animal caretaking, bringing supplies from the city along the way.

When videographer Michael Shapiro heard about these women’s noble efforts thanks to Amanda, he immediately knew he had to tell their story. Shapiro's documentary, released today, features interviews with the sisters and documents the tough realities of their day-to-day lives as the sisters care for the animals which they consider no less than family:

Amanda met the Gao sisters three years ago when she adopted her own dog from friends of the sisters. She tells the Beijinger that the shelter is always in need of volunteers to adopt or foster animals, but most of all, they need help to secure the future of the shelter. Currently, the sisters are at risk of losing their lease on the farm where they rent a small space to live and care for the animals.

It wouldn’t be the first time that they were forced to pick up and move to a new location either. The pair were previously ejected from another farm because of the animals, and from another because of a sporting event that forced them off the land. Despair peaked when they were exiled to a plot of land ten hours outside of Tianjin by car, not knowing that the area was tainted by the remains of other animals that had been butchered there. The dogs began to fall ill, and a couple of dozen died. The sisters had no choice but to move to what Amanda describes as a "wasteland," where the sisters were forced take up lodging in a container meant for sheep.

It was a low point that seemed impossible to recover from, but thanks to Amanda and others, they are filled with renewed hope. With enough help, the Gao sisters may be able to purchase their own lot, and finally have the stability that they and their animals deserve.

To learn more about how your donations and volunteering can help, visit the shelter’s website at jianaishelter.com, or you can donate directly by scanning the QR code below.