More than 100 dogs will find new homes in US after rescue from South Korean trade farms

Several animal rights organisations have come together to rescue more than 100 dogs from South Korea's brutal dog meat trade.

The dogs were flown to North America where the Humane Society International (HSI) US branch placed them with several shelter and rescue partners to ensure the dogs find "families who love them".

Sixty of the canines were rescued from a single dog meat farm by HSI in May. It was the 16th farm the animal rights organisation has helped to close since 2015.

“Rescuing animals from suffering and neglect is as important as ever,” said Kitty Block, CEO of HSI and president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States.

“Thanks to the hard work of our staff and partners, both in Korea and the US, these dogs will now have the happy lives they deserve: with families who love them.”

Dogs are shown locked in a cage at a dog meat farm in Hongseong, South Korea
Jean Chung / HSI

New York animal rights organisations including the Animal Welfare Association, Montgomery County SPCA and Animal Haven were among those who took part in the dog rescue operation.

Angels of Assisi in Virginia and the Tri-County Animal Shelter and Humane Society of Calvert County in Maryland also supported the rescue.

Around two million dogs a year are reared on thousands of dog meat farms in South Korea, said HSI.

It describes "horrific" conditions where dogs spend their entire lives in wire cages without any veterinary care until they are killed by electrocution or hanging.

HSI aims to work with dog meat farmers by helping them to transition to alternative profitable livelihoods.

The activists encourage the farmers to sign a 20-year contract which states that they will not breed dogs or any animals.

Before and after pictures of Nara the jindo. She was rescued from a meat farm in South Korea (L) and has been re-homed in Devon (R)
HSI

HSI has previously secured new homes for 30 dogs in the UK after they were also rescued from dog meat farms in South Korea.

Pumpkin the jindo in Surrey, Winston the boston terrier in Hampshire, Nara the jindo in Devon, and Penny the spaniel mix in Farnborough were all saved in November last year.

HSI President Jeff Flocken said in a statement: "Countries and governments across Asia have been advancing regional and local bans on dog meat in recent times, in an effort to protect both animal welfare and public health.

"Yet in South Korea the government has so far failed to take action to end the suffering of millions of dogs languishing on farms to be killed for meat.

"During the Bok Nal summer season, many thousands of these dogs will die just to be made into soup, and that's a habit we're glad to see Koreans increasingly questioning. But we are also urging President Moon Jae-in to join with other countries across Asia by taking action to dismantle this outdated and cruel industry."

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