Humane Society International said rescuers were able to persuade the truck driver to give up his cargo, and that all 70 animals are now being cared for in shelters.
Liang Jia, a Guangxi activist, said: 'It was so frustrating to watch trucks of dogs arrive in Yulin when the authorities were supposed to be stopping them and confiscating the dogs.
'So we decided to save some dogs ourselves and waited on the highway for the next truck to arrive.
'When it did, we flagged it down and convinced the truck driver to hand over the dogs because they were clearly stolen pets for whom he didn’t have the legally required paperwork.
'The dogs offered us their paw just like a pet at home, and they had healthy teeth which means someone was looking after them before they were stolen.
'The Yulin authorities have a responsibility to protect public health, even if they don’t also care about the animals like we do.
'These poor dogs look sick, and thankfully now they will receive veterinary care, but who knows what diseases they could carry that would end up in the food market.'
Humane Society International said rescuers were able to persuade the truck driver to give up his cargo, and that all 70 animals are now being cared for in shelters.
Liang Jia, a Guangxi activist, said: 'It was so frustrating to watch trucks of dogs arrive in Yulin when the authorities were supposed to be stopping them and confiscating the dogs.
'So we decided to save some dogs ourselves and waited on the highway for the next truck to arrive.
'When it did, we flagged it down and convinced the truck driver to hand over the dogs because they were clearly stolen pets for whom he didn’t have the legally required paperwork.
'The dogs offered us their paw just like a pet at home, and they had healthy teeth which means someone was looking after them before they were stolen.
'The Yulin authorities have a responsibility to protect public health, even if they don’t also care about the animals like we do.
'These poor dogs look sick, and thankfully now they will receive veterinary care, but who knows what diseases they could carry that would end up in the food market.'