C. Oregon shelters save dogs from S. Korean meat farm

Nearly 30 dogs just made the long journey from South Korea to Central Oregon. They might not know it, but they’ve just been given a second chance at life.

The Humane Society of Central Oregon in Bend and Redmond’s BrightSide Animal Center are taking in the 28 dogs, among many more rescued from a dog meat farm in Wonju, South Korea.

“They were living in deplorable conditions,” HSCO Outreach Manager Lynne Ouchida said Sunday. “They were not being provided the food the medical care, the attention that our canine companions need.”

South Korea is the only country where the dog meat trade is legal, but that doesn’t make it cruelty-free.

“These are dogs that were living on wire crates, elevated wire crates, roughly 4 x 4,” said Becky Stock, executive director at BrightSide. “It’s not the way to live your life. Dogs stuffed into small wire crates.”

The long journey for the dogs started when the Humane Society of the United States reached out to the two nonprofits, asking them to care for 28 of the 250 dogs rescued from the farm.

Both organizations accepted. Now they’re evaluating the dogs’ health and well-being, and helping them adjust to their new environment.

Stock acknowledged it’s going to take time before they are ready for adoption.

“These are dogs that certainly aren’t potty trained, they’ve been living in a wire crate,” she said. “They need a lot of patience. They’re afraid. They’ve never been walked on a leash.”

Ouchida agreed, and said both shelters will post the Korean dogs on their adoption Websites as they become available.

“These dogs may have been bred for a specific purpose, but they are exhibiting an absolute desire to bond with humans, and that’s what we’re going to nurture and bring out,” Ouchida said. “It’s been a long journey. It’s going to be a rewarding one, when we find all these guys a loving home.”

If you want to make a donation to help provide care and medical treatments, you can donate to Humane Society of Central Oregon at www.hsco.org or BrightSide Animal Center at www.brightsideanimals.org.

To learn more about the issue and the dogs rescued by Humane Society International, visit: http://www.hsi.org/issues/dog_meat/