On a farm in South Korea, 70 dogs destined for human consumption that were kept in cages were rescued by the Humane Society International (HSI).
Seventy dogs destined for human consumption were saved from a farm in Hongseong, South Korea, after being locked in cages for months due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus. Their rescue was made possible by a mission from the HSI.
HSI launched the mission after working with the farmer and convincing him that the dog industry is not a good business. The rescue was scheduled for early March, but had to be postponed due to restrictions caused by the Covid-19 outbreak.
When the coronavirus hit South Korea and the world, it created border blockages and social isolation, a situation that prevented the dogs from being moved.
The mission has as its final objective, to transfer the dogs to Canada and the United States, where the organization will be in charge of finding adoptive homes.
However, the restrictions that are maintained for international flights make it impossible to complete the final destination of the rescued dogs.
For now, HSI is relocating them to temporary homes in South Korea, where they will be rehabilitated and receive veterinary care, until they can travel.
Farmer Nakseon Kim, who has been raising dogs for almost 40 years, but because of growing opposition to consume them, decided to find a new activity.
In addition, new regulations and court decisions that take measures to control the industry, complicate the development of the activity and is causing farmers to look for other types of businesses.
Nakseon told Mail Online:
” It may sound strange, but I started raising dogs because I like dogs. I have never been a big fan of dog meat. I had some dogs, so I started raising them and when I was 20 or 30 I started selling them because I thought it would be productive, but it didn’t really work that way. I don’t get anything out of this dog farm, and the government pressure is mounting and it’s not a good deal at all. ”
On the farm, different breeds of dogs were bred that would later be taken to two abusive industries such as the meat trade and puppy mills.
After years of marketing dogs, the farmer will start a new life growing cabbages and other vegetables, with the help of the charity.
Nara Kim, an HSI activist, said:
” Unfortunately, it is still very common to see live puppies for sale at pet stores. But what most Koreans would be surprised to learn is that these same puppies could have been killed for human consumption. Whether they live or die, they are all born in these places, their mothers raise intensively over and over again until they are exhausted and finally sold to slaughterhouses.”
The activist is very happy to have rescued these 70 beautiful dogs from a sad ending, and that her nightmare has ended. For now, she will continue to fight to end the dog meat and dog farming industries, pressing the government to eliminate them entirely.
Mr. Nakseon’s farm is the 16th to close since the farmer transition program began in 2015.
The dogs are receiving the corresponding veterinary attention, as some had health problems, due to the poor conditions in the place where they had them. Thanks to government action, consumption of dog meat has declined steadily in South Korea.
This trade is known to be prohibited or severely restricted in different parts of Asia, how; Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines.
In 2018, it became known that in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, they promised to end the trade in dog meat, a measure that will be applied in 2021. Recently, it became known that the Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai, prohibited the consumption of dogs and cats, as they are considered pets.
As time passes, the global pressure increases towards the countries of Asia, so that the wet markets for wildlife are closed permanently.
For such practices are considered an imminent risk to the health of humanity and a possible source for the development of new viruses.
Without a doubt, South Korea and other Asian countries are trying to strengthen their actions to eliminate these activities and call on the entire continent.
We hope that these rescued dogs will soon have the happy ending they so richly deserve, and can find a forever home, away from cages.
Photos: Facebook: Humane Society International
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