Ten dogs rescued from a South Korean farm where they were destined for the dinner plate gather round for hugs before beginning new lives in the UK.
The Jindo breed pooches – named Baloo, Blossom, Buttons, Jinsoo, Lumi, Molly, Firecracker, Moby, Moon and Yukio – landed at Heathrow Airport on Saturday morning.
They will be placed into foster care with the help of Chimney Farm International Dog Rescue in Hampshire until they are matched with homes.
Claire Bass, executive director of Humane Society International/UK, said: “When we rescue dogs from meat farms, where they’ve spent every day locked in a cage, it’s humbling to see how willing they are to love and be loved by their families.”
They were found as puppies locked in filthy cages and fed on food waste alongside 55 other dogs before the farm was shut.
Nara Kim, HSI/Korea’s campaign manager, said: “I shed tears when I saw the killing area where I know dogs were killed in front of each other.
"There was a big pile of collars where they were electrocuted.
“Thankfully, we’ve been able to ensure no animals will ever suffer again in those cages.”
The 10 dogs were due to be killed by electrocution and then butchered for meat but were saved thanks to a joint effort by Humane Society International/Korea and local organisation LIFE.
An estimated one to two million dogs are kept on thousands of farms across South Korea.
Alongside Jindos and mastiffs typically bred for meat, many dog farms also breed Labradors, golden retrievers, spaniels, huskies, beagles and other breeds.
Most South Koreans do not consume dog meat, and a growing number now see them as companion animals. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), an estimated 6.38 million South Korean households lived with companion animals in 2020, equating to 28% of households.
In recent years, there have been a series of crackdowns by authorities to curb the dog meat industry. These include the shutting down of Taepyeong dog slaughterhouse, the country’s largest, by Seongnam City Council in November 2018, followed in July 2019 by the closure of Gupo dog meat market in Busan, and a declaration in October that year by the mayor of Seoul that the capital city is “dog slaughter free”.
