Dogs rescued from South Korean meat farm recovering in Santa Cruz

From a dog meat farm in South Korea to the Santa Cruz SPCA, four dogs that once faced death are now being given a new life.

Cellphone video captures the moments Caron, a Japanese mastiff, takes her first steps outside of a wire cage. The moments were so touching, it brought some staff to tears.

“The first dog, when the van got here and the dogs came off the van and down into our play yard, I just started crying because it was cool to see her get out of her crate and she didn’t really understand how to walk at first. She kept tripping because they really hadn’t ever walked since they’ve been out of their crate. It’s been really kind of interesting since they’ve been here to think about that we’re able to help,” said Meghan Jenkins, the general manager of Bed and Biscuits, where the dogs are temporarily staying.

Caron is one of 171 dogs recently rescued from a South Korean meat farm. She and three Jindo mixes, Ferdinand, Elsie and Priscilla, are all between 1 and 3 years old. All of them are in need of medical care.

“She’s (Caron) a bit thin, she’s slightly curious, but definitely weary of people, said Sarah Eryavec, associate director of the Santa Cruz SPCA and Humane Society. “She seems to have some disfigurement in her paws from standing on wire for her whole life.”

According to Humane Society International, these 171 dogs are part of the final 250 dogs and puppies rescued from a dog meat farm in Wonju. The dogs have been flown to shelters and rescues around the United States and Canada. The Santa Cruz SPCA is one of three facilities in California that are taking in these dogs. The other two are the San Francisco SPCA and the San Diego Humane Society. The rescue was part of a large deal between the farmer and HSI.

“They have agreements with them where they can buy out their equipment that they do right now for dog farming and replace that equipment with other types of farming equipment, whether that’s for vegetables, or things of that nature, or fruits,” said Robert Armbrust, the executive director for the Santa Cruz SPCA and Humane Society.

While the process to get the dogs here has been easy, the dogs face a difficult road ahead. They’ve lived their entire lives in a cage, in a perpetual state of fear and anxiety. Many have had little to no contact with humans. Staff said in the short time they’ve been here, they’ve flourished.

“One in particular (Priscilla) really loves to get pet and loved on, is playing catch with a tennis ball, which is amazing to me because they’ve probably never seen a tennis ball or a toy,” Jenkins said.

Next week the dogs will get full medical checkups, which include neutering and spaying. Then they’ll move to specialized foster homes and work with an experienced dog trainer. After their rehabilitation, which staff say could be lengthy, the dogs will be ready to find their forever homes.

For these dogs, there will be a happy ending, but the fight to end dog meat farming continues.

“In two years the Winter Olympics are going to be held in South Korea and that’s why you’re seeing a lot of international pressure,” Armbrust said. “And that’s coming from awareness and we can help drive awareness of this issue of dog farming.”

According to HSI, most people don’t regularly eat dogs and it’s falling out of favor with the younger generation. However, during an annual summer festival, Bok Nal, dog meat stew is widely eaten by many who believe it can cool their blood.

To learn more about the rescued dogs at the Santa Cruz SPCA or to volunteer, click here.