34 Dogs Arrive in US After Rescue, 17 Meat Farms Permanently Closed in South Korea

After being rescued from South Korea's dog meat industry, 34 dogs have now arrived in the US. Since then, 17 meat farms have been permanently shut down.

In Ansan, South Korea, the Humane Society International/Korea, and its collaborators rescued pups from dog meat farms. HSI/Korea has so far saved canines from 17 meat farms that are now indefinitely shut down. As illegal farms were being shut down by authorities, the group collaborated with other animal welfare organizations to rescue dogs from those facilities.

Adam Parascandola, the vice president of the animal rescue team from Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States, said that the situations they initially find the dogs in are appalling in every single instance. In dog meat farms, dogs are kept in cramped, barren cages without adequate access to food, water, or medical attention. They are also denied any kind of comfort, leading to a life of fear and deprivation.

Renewed Dog Farmers

According to Parascandola, the majority of their rescues entail them collaborating with dog farmers who want to leave the business. These farmers are typically present during rescue days and may occasionally lend a hand to the rescue team in removing dogs so that they can begin their journey to new adoptive families.

On this most recent trip, many of the dogs came from a meat farm that had been closed down by local authorities. Others had been left behind at risk of being put to death or killed and eaten, while some had already been removed. 34 dogs were saved this time around.

Parascandola says that when the team first saved the dogs and brought them to a partner shelter in South Korea, they were understandably anxious. The dogs were wary at first because they were farm animals and had never known kindness from people; however, they quickly warmed to the idea of having a proper place to live, wholesome food to eat, and the freedom to run around and play with other dogs.

Dog Meat Farms

According to Humane Society International, about 30 million dogs are killed each year in Asia for use in food. Though statistics are difficult to confirm due to the trade's lack of regulation and frequent illegality, it is most prevalent in South Korea, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

Consumption of dog meat is uncommon and more prevalent among the elderly. Nearly 70% of Chinese respondents to a 2016 survey said they had never tried dog meat, and there is a rising movement against the trade. According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2014, about half of the population occasionally eats dog meat.

According to HSI, dogs in meat farms are kept imprisoned in little metal cages and typically only receive enough food and water to survive. Because some people believe that torturing a dog before death produces meat that is adrenalin-filled and tastes better, dogs are occasionally killed in very gruesome, violent ways.

People Against Dog Meat Industry

85% of Koreans have never eaten dog meat and do not plan to do so in the future, according to records from HSI/United States. Moreover, 56% of respondents said they were in favor of a ban on dog meat.

Parascandola says every dog that the team can save is handed back the future that the dog meat industry would otherwise deny them. The work of the rescue team is quite literally saving the lives of these animals because dogs raised on dog meat farms are subjected to very harsh life and will inevitably be killed for meat by electrocution.

He says the dogs serve as brand ambassadors for the business, assisting in eradicating unfavorable views of both dog adoption and these dogs used for dog meat.

Parascandola said in her interview with Treehugger that the dog meat industry attempts to deter Korean consumers from having compassion for these dogs' plight by portraying them as vicious and soulless. Their adoption from rescue proves that these dogs can be devoted companions and are just as befitting of compassion as any other dog.