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Six dogs saved from the dog meat trade in South Korea have arrived safely in the United Kingdom to start their search for new homes and Spaniel mix Maisie, Boston terrier Winston, and Jindo mixes Pumpkin, Oscar, Bella and Molly have already received lots of enquiries from potential adopters.
Here are some of their first experiences as shared by their foster families.
Meet Bella
Meet Maisie
Meet Molly
Meet Oscar
Meet Pumpkin
Photo Credit: Rachel Riley Photography
Meet Winston
Winston and his five friends were languishing on a dog meat farm in Gyeonggi-do province when Humane Society International (HSI) closed the facility saving more than 90 dogs in total.
The closure was HSI’s 15th dog farm shut down, part of the charity’s pioneering program helping dog farmers who want to leave the increasingly controversial industry.
There are thousands of dog farms across South Korea supplying live dogs to slaughterhouses, markets and restaurants for human consumption, but the trade has been in decline over the past several years as attitudes and appetites are changing.
As a result, many dog meat farmers are increasingly eager to exit the trade and approach HSI for help.
They each sign a legal contract with the charity to relinquish the dogs, destroy all the cages, and never farm dogs or any animal again. The charity provides a small start-up grant to transition farmers to an alternative livelihood such as mushroom growing, water delivery, water parsley farming and other more humane trades.
Jenn Gilbert, the founder of Chimney Farm Rescue, who are caring for the six dogs says: “As the founder of Chimney Farm we try to help all dogs in need, and the dog meat trade has always played heavily on my heart. So to be asked to help Humane Society International/UK was an honour.
“The six dogs who arrived – Bella, Winston, Molly, Maisie, Pumpkin and Oscar – are just amazing dogs, and after all they have endured they are settling into UK life amazingly. Out for walks, cuddling up to humans, lying in comfortable beds, just how all dogs should live. All the dogs have a thorough medical and then we can start to look for the best homes possible.”
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