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Dozens of dogs have been saved from a South Korean meat farm after they spent their entire lives in crowded cages waiting to be killed.
Fifty-seven dogs and puppies were rescued from a dog meat farm by Humane Society International and Change for Animals Foundation in South Korea.
The dogs range from beagles, poodles, and Korean Jindos to large Tosas who have spent their entire lives in small, filthy cages exposed on the farm, waiting to be killed - often electrocuted - for their meat that is often made into stew or used in dietary supplements overseas.
South Korea - the only known Asian country to have a farming industry that raises dogs solely for meat - is now the focus of an international effort by animal-rights groups to end the business.
The dogs will begin their new livesn Northern California.
"They've been starved of love their whole lives, living in fear and deprivation," Humane Society International Asian campaign manager Lola Webber said.
"As soon as we opened their cage doors and they realised we weren't going to harm them, they wagged their tails and licked our faces."
The farmer involved had bred dogs for meat for 20 years and was facing criticism from family members for his participation in the trade that sees about two million dogs consumed in South Korea annually, said Adam Parascandola, the group's director of animal protection and crisis response.
"There's been some surveys conducted among dog meat farmers that showed that given some incentive to go into another line of work they would choose to do so," Parascandola said.
In this case, the farmer with the 57 dogs was eager to close his farm and start a new life growing produce.
In a statement from Humane Society International, farmer Tae Hyung Lee says he believes "a lot of people want to get out of the dog-meat trade. "People don't like dog meat like in the past," he said.
In January, 23 dogs were rescued from a Seoul dog meat farmer, brought to Washington DC, and adopted. That farmer also agreed to stop raising dogs for food and instead moved to grow blueberries. Another group of dogs could be rescued later this year, Parascandola said.
After arriving in San Francisco earlier this week, dogs were examined and treated for any medical conditions.
They will be available for adoption, possibly as early next week, at Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' facilities in San Francisco, Oakland and Sacramento and the Marin Humane Society.
Parascandola acknowledged that the group has much more work to do.
"We have a long, hard campaign in front of us to end the dog meat trade in South Korea."


Puppies saved from crowded cages at South Korean meat farm

Humane Society activists are targeting dog meat farms in South Korea with the ultimate objective of ending the trade completely. Photo: AP

News

Asia

Farmers increasingly willing to abandon dog meat if given alternatives


Dozens of dogs have been saved from a South Korean meat farm after they spent their entire lives in crowded cages waiting to be killed.
