Apparently in order to save the dogs, the truck driver had to be paid 100,000 yuan, or about $15,300. The rescue has since triggered a debate among some Chinese that pouring so much money and effort into saving dogs is questionable when there are so many poor and needy people who are lacking in China. You can read more about the incident in which volunteers armed with food and water for the dogs swarmed the truck in order to get it to stop and the debate that followed here.

While dog has been served since before 500 B.C. in China, it is now only socially acceptable in the southern part of the country. However, there is a growing movement against the consumption of cat and dog meat in China, and in 2008 it was taken off menus during the Olympics to avoid offending visitors from foreign countries. You can read more on the history of dog meat around the world from Wikipedia.