Dogs Saved From South Korean Meat Market Get A Second Chance

More than two million dogs are killed each year in South Korea in meat farms, a practice that has sparked outrage within the country as well, according to Humane Society International.

Dozens of dogs from a South Korean meat farm have bee rescued and taken in by Washington state shelters, with a quarter of them sent to the Humane Society for Southwest Washington, according to the news outlet KUTV.

The dogs, many of which are Japanese mastiffs, now have the chance to live the lives they rightfully should. The 103 dogs are now experiencing the joys of grass and the freedom of living outside of a small cage.

“It was a real joy to see them experience (grass) for the first time,” said Elaine Allison, Benton-Franklin Humane Scoiety’s operations director, according to Bellingham Herald. 

“All they’ve ever known is a wire crate.”

The dogs are reportedly all 2 years old and younger. The dogs are reportedly being given proper medical care before being taken into local shelters.

“You know, you hear about the stories and you see the really sad videos online and then all of a sudden, we have them here," managing veterinarian for the Humane Society for Southwest Washington, Dr. Laren Overman, said.

“It's only been one week so far and the progress we're seeing right now is just an amazing thing to see and to be a part of."

Although the dogs are continuously receiving medical attention, it’ll reportedly be weeks before they’re ready to go into their future homes. The dogs will reportedly need to spend time in doggie school working on socialization and obedience skills with prisoners at the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell.

The HSI reportedly worked with one of the dog meat farmers in Korea to shut down his factory and go into a different type of farming.

After hearing the dogs’ experiences, people seem to be eager to give them a loving, forever home. An adoption application was reportedly already filed by a law enforcement officer investigating an incident near the shelter.

“They wanted to see the dogs, so we brought them out,” Allison said.

“Now one of the officers wants to adopt Notta Burger.”