17 Meat Farms Permanently Closed in South Korea After 30 Rescued Dogs Arrive in US

Thirty-four dogs have already reached the US after being rescued from the dog meat trade in South Korea. Since then, 17 meat farms have been closed down permanently in the Asian country.

The Humane Society International/Korea and its partners saved puppies from dog meat factories in Ansan, South Korea. So far, Fox Nine said HSI/Korea has worked on the ground in the Asian country to permanently closed 17 dog meat farms and save more than 2,500 dogs who have found homes in the U.S., Canada, the UK, and the Netherlands.

The organization worked with other animal welfare organizations to rescue dogs from such facilities when unlawful farms were being shut down by the government.

Adam Parascandola, vice president of the animal rescue team from Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States, said the dogs were in a horrible state at first.

Parascandola said the dogs raised for their meat are housed in small, bare cages without access to food, water, or medical care. They are also denied any comfort, resulting in a life of anxiety and lack.

Dog Meat Farmers

Humane Society International said a staggering 30 million dogs are killed each year in Asia for food purposes. The trade is most common in South Korea, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. However, data are difficult to establish due to the lack of regulation and sometimes illegality of the business.

Dog meat consumption is rare and more popular among the elderly. A 2016 poll in China found that over 70% of participants had never consumed dog meat, and there is growing opposition to the trade. A 2014 poll in South Korea found that approximately half of the population occasionally consumes dog meat.

According to HSI, dogs in meat factories are often housed in tiny metal cages and only given what they need to survive in terms of food and water. Dogs are periodically slaughtered in highly horrific, violent ways because some people think that tormenting a dog before death provides meat that is adrenalin-filled and tastes better.

Dog Farmers

The bulk of their rescues, according to Parascandola, involve working with dog farmers who wish to quit their trade. Usually present on rescue days, these farmers occasionally assist the rescue team in getting rid of dogs so they may start their trip to find new adoptive families.

On their most recent trip, many dogs were from a meat farm that the local government had shut down. While some had already been taken, others had been left behind and were at risk of being murdered, killed, and eaten. This time, 34 pets were saved.

According to Parascandola, the dogs were naturally nervous when the crew first recovered them and transported them to a partner shelter in South Korea. Because they were farm animals and had never experienced human compassion, the dogs were first hesitant. However, they soon warmed to the notion of having a decent home, good food to eat, and the freedom to roam around and play with other dogs.

Dog Meat Industry

According to data from HSI/United States, 85% of Koreans have never eaten dog meat and do not intend to do so in the future. Furthermore, a ban on dog meat was supported by 56% of respondents.

Every dog that the team can save receives the future that the dog meat business would otherwise deny them, according to Parascandola. Because dogs reared on dog meat farms are forced to an extremely difficult life and will certainly be electrocuted for meat, the rescue team's activity is really saving the lives of these creatures.

He claims that the dogs act as marketing ambassadors for the company, helping to dispel bad perceptions of both dog adoption and the exploitation of these canines as dog meat.

In her interview with Treehugger, Parascandola claimed that the dog meat business tries to dissuade Korean buyers from feeling sympathy for the condition of these dogs by presenting them as cruel and soulless. These dogs may make loyal friends and are just as deserving of compassion as any other dog, as evidenced by the fact that they were adopted from rescue organizations.

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