Voice of KELLY O’MEARA, DIRECTOR-COMPANION ANIMALS AND ENGAGEMENT, HUMANE SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL:

Korea is the only Asian country that actually farms dogs to supply the dog meat trade.  It’s something that developed over the course of several decades.  It has not been a culture that has existed for centuries as it has in some other Asian countries.

These animals live in cages that are often over-crowded—three to five of them in one very small cage.  They receive very little care, very little food and they simply exist on the edge of survival everyday to then just be slaughtered one day.


KELLY O’MEARA, DIRECTOR-COMPANION ANIMALS AND ENGAGEMENT, HUMANE SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL:
These 23 dogs are acting as ambassadors for a campaign we’ve now launched in Korea to try and reduce the overall dog meat consumption in the country.  We learned of this farmer that had had some ideas already of closing.  So we have them sign a pledge that states that they will stay out of the industry for a lifelong commitment, as well as help them to transition into a humane trade that is along the lines of raising crops. 

It’s not so much the issue of dog meat and the consumption dog.  It’s how these animals are raised and ultimately slaughtered.  It’s the cruelty behind the trade.

Why bring dogs here from Korea?  Because it spikes adoption locally.  Their compelling story brings light to the homeless dog situation, the homeless cat situation that exists throughout this country. 
 

MEGAN WEBB, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ANIMAL WELFARE LEAGUE OF ALEXANDRIA:
Our goal was to take them into one shelter first, quarantine them for a period of five or six days.  But there’s a total of six shelters , including ours, that are taking these dogs.

We have to remember that they’re coming from a life where they lived in a cage for their entire life, or on a chain.  This is going to be a lot of stimulation for them.

If they’re ready to go, they’ll get adopted probably fairly quickly—in a week or two.  Otherwise, we may have to put them into foster homes to get them used to living in a home environment and then make them available.


KELLY O’MEARA, DIRECTOR-COMPANION ANIMALS AND ENGAGEMENT, HUMANE SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL:
These animals lived such miserable lives for the period of time they do only to them be hauled off and slaughtered in some horrific way.  We’re trying to raise the public awareness both in Korea and internationally of the cruelty that exists behind this trade.  And make people understand so that possibly there could be a reduction in the trade of dog meat.