We Visited a Dog Meat Farm in South Korea and Spoke to Its Owner

For her entire life, Samsun was not free. The 3-year-old dog had been stuck in a wire mesh cage her whole life, living in a barren space and eating food waste, kept alive only to produce puppies that will be slaughtered for dog meat. She would have been slaughtered too, but instead became one of the nearly 200 dogs that were rescued at a farm in the city of Asan, South Korea in early March.

Samsun sitting at a rehabilitation center in the United States after being rescued in South Korea. Photo courtesy of HSI

Dr. Katherine Polak, vice president of companion animals and engagement at HSI, holds a puppy. Photo: Jean Chung, courtesy of HSI

When animal activist group Humane Society International (HSI) arrived at the nearly 30-year-old farm on March 7, the dogs were barking incessantly as if calling for help. The smell of feces filled the cold winter air.

The dogs didn't seem to know about the huge changes that would be coming their way. While some dogs were standing, barking, and squeezing themselves through metal cages, others were sitting and trembling. These cages were elevated from the ground and under them were piled up feces.

Lee Sang-kyung, dog meat campaign manager from HSI, rescues a puppy. Photo: Jean Chung, courtesy of HSI

Animal rights activists went inside the rusty cages and comforted the frightened dogs before moving them onto crates labeled with their new names. They then loaded the dogs onto trucks bound for the airport where they were to board a flight to the United States for adoption.

"I’m so thrilled today," dog farm owner Yang Jong-tae told VICE as he watched the rescue operation. "Even I’ve never traveled to the U.S.—never been on a plane either—but my dogs are about to board a plane to go to the U.S. to live in a better environment."

Dog meat farm owner Yang Jong-tae says goodbye to the dogs. Photo: Jean Chung, courtesy of HSI

About 30 years ago, Yang quit his job as a truck driver, moved to the countryside, and raised some animals to make a living. He said he only had a couple of dogs at first, but eventually found himself with a lot of puppies.

Yang didn't plan on building a dog meat farm but he said it helped him earn money. "Back in the day, running a dog farm could put food on the table. That's why I got into this," he said. He decided to close it down, contacted HSI last year, and now plans to grow crops instead.

"At my age, it's getting tough to keep up with the work," The 73-year-old said. "People keep advocating for banning dog meat, even filing civil complaints, so I thought it's high time to shut it down. Also, I know the dogs will be going to a loving home, so I’m just pleased to let them go."

Though eating dog meat used to be common in South Korea, things are changing. Some from older generations still believe eating dog meat enhances stamina but now most Koreans don't eat it.

In a 2020 Nielsen survey, 84 percent of Koreans said that they have never consumed dog meat and that they are not willing to consume it in the future. The rate of Koreans who support the ban of dog meat also increased from 34.7 percent in 2017 to 58.6 percent in 2020.

In 2021, South Korean football legend and former Manchester United player Park Ji-sung even urged football fans to stop chanting the "dog meat song," created to cheer him on. The song goes "Park, Park, wherever you may be, you eat dogs in your own country."

"The overall demand is going down," said Yang. "The media says we shouldn't be eating dog meat and animal organizations are visiting farms to push owners against it."

Of the 200 dogs rescued from Yang's farm, 160 were transported to the U.S., HSI reported. Those who remained in South Korea were too young to travel. The dogs who left for the U.S. will receive medical care, be moved to a rehabilitation center, and placed in shelters to be adopted.

Lee Sang-kyung, dog meat campaign manager at HSI, checks the list of dogs during the rescue operation. Photo: Jean Chung, courtesy of HSI

"I don't mind getting dirty. But it's emotionally difficult when I see them under extreme stress, because they don't understand what's happening," HSI campaign manager Lee Sang-kyung told VICE, dog feces covering his work clothes as he moved the animals from their cages.

About a million dogs are bred and confined in appalling conditions on thousands of farms across South Korea to be killed for human consumption. Yang's farm is the 18th that HSI has closed. The organization said it has rescued over 2,700 dogs in the country.

"Sometimes, puppies born in this kind of elevated cage lose their lives, stuck in the wire," Lee said. "Some owners just leave the dead puppies for their mothers to eat. It's heartbreaking."

The Asan dog meat farm. Photo: Jean Chung, courtesy of HSI

But Lee is hopeful for the future.

"I feel accomplished when dog meat farmers decide to leave the industry and work with us, and also feel proud that we’ve finally rescued once-caged animals and sent them off on a plane," Lee said. "I picture a bright future ahead of them, where they can run freely."

According to Lee, Samsun and her puppies Jackson, Plumbly, and Buster are now safe in the U.S.

To the dogs that he rescued, he says: "You’ve been through so much and I hope you are happy. Meet a great family and forget all the things you’ve been through. You’ve got this!"

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