One of the best dog stories of 2015 courtesy of the SF SPCA and Humane Society International
The desire for dog meat is waning and the practice of consuming dogs as food will end, thanks to positive influence of the social media. Fifty seven dogs were rescued from a dog meat farm in South Korea by Humane Society International (HSI) arrived at the San Francisco SPCA on March 16.
Nearly 60 dogs were taken and the HSI destroyed the cages.
Once the animals were evaluated and treated for any medical issues, HSI worked with its Emergency Placement Partners East Bay SPCA, Marin Humane Society and Sacramento SPCA to find the dogs homes.
Jen Chung, Vice Chair of the SF SPCA Board of Directors: “These incredible animals have survived unthinkable conditions and suffering as part of the dog meat industry. They deserve to spend the rest of their lives in loving homes. We are honored to be part of this project, which will increase awareness of the cruel dog meat industry. Ultimately, we’re hoping to completely end the practice of consuming dogs as food.”
HSI worked with the farm owner to remove the dogs from miserable conditions and close its doors for good. As part of the plan, he signed an agreement with HSI to shut down the property and move into a permanent, humane trade in crop farming. HSI provided assistance to make the transition possible and will follow the farmer’s progress to ensure compliance.
HSI, the international affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States, is working to reduce the dog meat trade in Asia, including South Korea where dogs are farmed for the trade – and where the 2018 Winter Olympics will be held. HSI will work with other dog farmers who agree to get out of the inhumane dog meat trade permanently and transition into trades like crop growing.
As someone who believes strongly that how we treat animals is a reflection on our humanity, this was one of my favorite stories of the year. The world is changing and with the growth of economies in other countries, as well as education, more people are appreciating the power of the human animal bond. You see more people in Korea and China wanting dogs as members of the family and companions.
I'm glad to see animal protection groups include issues like dog meat farms as part of their focus, and hopefully more good will come of this over the next two years leading up to the 2018 Winter Olympics.
For more Information
Visit the San Francisco SPCA
Read: Dogs rescued from South Korean meat farm via San Francisco Chronicle