A dozen dogs rescued from a Korean dog meat farm are now in a rehabilitation centre near Montreal after an multi-country animal protection operation. The Humane World for Animals (formerly the Humane Society International) said in a news release on Thursday that 12 of the over 70 dogs rescued arrived in Montreal from a Gangjin farm in the south of the country. South Korea’s parliament voted to ban the dog meat industry, which goes into effect in February. A survey showed, 80 per cent of the population supported the ban and many businesses in the country switched to a black goat stew instead of the traditional “bosintang,” made with dog meat. Humane World for Animals says it has saved around 3,000 dogs from South Korea since 2015. “For more than a decade, our rescue teams have shone a spotlight inside these dog meat farms and faced the heartbreak of witnessing the suffering involved in this industry while saving the lives of thousands of dogs,” said Humane World for Animals Korea campaign manager Sangkyung Lee. The rescued dogs include the Korean Jindo, a domestic medium-sized hunting dog, as well as a corgi mix, husky mix and a German shepherd. The farm, the Humane World for Animals said, once bred and slaughtered as many as 1,000 dogs a year. “Surrounded by rows of rusting, empty cages that would once have been packed with dogs, and with the ground strewn with abandoned collars and skeletal jaw bones of dogs who died long before, this farm rescue symbolizes the decline of the dog meat industry in South Korea,” the organization says. A member of the public contacted an animal protection group, which contacted authorities. The 80-year-old farmer agreed to relinquish the remaining dogs to Humane World for Animals and to sign a written commitment to no longer participate in the dog meat industry, the organization said. “These dogs are now safe with the incredible experts at our care and rehabilitation centre in Canada. After enduring such a difficult beginning, they will finally have the chance to heal, thrive and experience life to its fullest,” said Humane World for Animals Canada program director Ewa Demianowicz. “Having personally participated in six dog meat farm closures and having seen the suffering these dogs have endured firsthand, I am so proud our care centre has been able to help nearly 1,000 dogs on their journey to find loving homes here in Canada and we are so thrilled that the dog meat industry ban will soon come into force in South Korea.” The new law in South Korea makes it illegal to farm, kill, butcher or sell dogs or dog meat for human consumption, with fines reaching around $30,000 CAD.
