It’s unthinkable that people still eat dogs, but sadly the dog meat trade still exists in some parts of the world. Dogs — both stray dogs and pets stolen from their owners — are kept in cruel conditions and slaughtered for food.
It’s a terrible fate, but thankfully more and more people are speaking out against the inhumane dog meat trade and rescuing its would-be victims.
That was the case recently, after 34 dogs were rescued from meat farms and will now find new lives in the United States.
According to a press release from the Humane Society of the United States, 34 dogs arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport last week after being rescued from dog meat farms in South Korea.
The rescue was operated by Humane Society International/Korea. They are now being cared for at a rehabilitation center.
“They will receive the love and comfort that the dog meat industry denied them, including beds, a nutritious diet, enrichment and veterinary care,” the press release states.
The dogs, who have names like Romeo, Daisy, Phoenix and Brown Bear, have been spared a grim fate that, according to Humane Society, claims the lives of 1 million dogs every year who are killed for meat in South Korea.
The terrible conditions these dogs endure include being “intensively bred,” and being kept in “squalid conditions” including barren metal cages. The dogs who survive are often left with medical issues.
While the vast majority of South Koreans don’t consume dog meat and don’t support the trade, it remains a real problem in the country.
“For these dogs flying to the United States, South Korea’s dog meat industry will soon be a distant memory,” said Sangkyung Lee, dog meat campaigner for Humane Society International/Korea. “But hundreds of thousands of other dogs are still languishing in terrible conditions on dog meat farms for a meat that very few Koreans want to eat and most want banned.”
HSI has been campaigning to end the dog meat trade in South Korea, including by helping dog farmers transition into “more humane and profitable livelihoods” like growing chili plant and parsley.
We can only hope one day the dog meat trade will be shut down for good — but in the meantime we can take solace in the fact that these 34 dogs are safe.
After receiving medical care, the dogs will be transported to the Humane Society’s affiliated shelters and rescues, and will then be put up for adoption.
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