The Beginnings
update:06-07-13 16:28:08
In 1997, Zhang Luping founded Beijing Human and Animal Environmental Education Center (BHAEEC), which is a non-profit, privately-run organization licensed by Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau. It was then the only private animal shelter and protection entity in mainland China, aiming to alert and educate the public about animal protection, to nurse and find homes for wounded and homeless animals, and to spread more relevant scientific and other knowledge about animals. In the same year, Zhang Luping renovated a deserted military base in Mentougou District in western Beijing, about two hours’ drive from the downtown. But lack of water, facilities and crucial materials such as pet foods and medicines took up all of her time, causing her to postpone her plan to introduce educational classes for the public. Naturally frustrated, she sold her remaining private properties to raise enough money to relocate her center in Changping in 2001.
