70 dogs that were meant to be sold as meat for human consumption were rescued from a meat farm in Hongseong, South Korea.
Breeds at the farm included poodles, beagles, huskies, golden retrievers, Pomeranians, chihuahuas, and Boston terriers — all of which were locked up in tight metal cages with wire flooring and miserable conditions.
Thanks to the rescue, the dogs are on their way to find adoptive homes in Canada and the United States.
Humane Society International (HSI) worked with the farmer, Nakseon Kim, and convinced him to quit the dog meat industry altogether.
Growing opposition to dog meat consumption and new regulations coming against the industry are causing more farmers to look for an exit strategy.
Mr. Kim’s farm was the 16th dog-meat farm closed since HSI started their farmer transition program in 2015. With the help of HSI, farmer Kim will be starting a new life growing cabbages and other vegetables.
The rescue was originally planned for early March but was held up by the coronavirus lockdown … which made moving the dogs impossible.
Although international travel is still restricted, HSI is relocating them to a temporary boarding facility in South Korea, where the adorable animals will receive veterinary attention for any injuries and ailments.
The demise of the dog-meat trade is catching on in other parts of the world. It’s banned or severely restricted in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines. In 2018 both Indonesia and Vietnam’s capital city, Hanoi, pledged an end to the dog-meat trade.
At Karmagawa, we’re working hard to get you the important animal news from around the world. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram to get the updates and share it with your friends and family.
We’ve also started creating courses that won’t only help fund our work to save the animals — but can add value to your life and the causes that are most important to you.
In our first course, we joined forces with professional filmmaker Amir Zakeri to create a videography masterclass — and you can save 50% on the presale now.
Check out this video to learn more about Amir and how you can use your inspiration to spark global change.
If you’ve ever wanted to make your own videos, this is for you. Get started today!
What do you think about HSI’s work to help Farmer Kim quit the dog-meat industry? We’d love to hear what you think. Leave a comment below!
(Cover image: Eky Studio/Shutterstock)