Rescue in Cheongju, South Korea

One of the world’s leading animal protection charities, we are active in more than 50 countries, driving positive change for animals for almost 30 years. Humane World for Animals is approved by the Better Business Bureau for all 20 standards for charity accountability. Through our rescue efforts, disaster response, veterinary clinics, and our work empowering local organizations, we serve a critical and expanding role in tackling animal suffering all over the world.

Humane World for Animals campaigns globally to address the cruelty related to the use of all animals for food, including cows, pigs and chickens. We expose and challenge farm animal suffering around the world, and through our Meatless Mondays campaign and Forward Food plant-based culinary training, we help individual consumers as well as huge corporations and catering companies, to reduce and replace meat and dairy. Our work in 2019 alone impacted 2.5 million meals globally. In countries like Indonesia and South Korea right now, there are undeniable socio-political circumstances in favor of ending the dog meat trade, and as campaigners, we cannot ignore the opportunity this creates to end the suffering for millions of animals.

Most people in South Korea do not regularly eat dog, and local opposition to the dog meat trade is increasing apace. So it’s important not to misrepresent this as a West versus East issue because that does an enormous disservice to the extremely vibrant campaign by South Koreans themselves for an end to the dog meat trade. In fact, the very idea that dog meat is “culture” is being robustly challenged by young South Korean themselves who find that concept insulting and demeaning, and who want a new culture of compassion. Change is coming from within South Korea and Humane World for Animals supports that change, actively partnering with South Korean animal protection groups and working cooperatively with local campaigners.

We know that oftentimes, people relate more to dogs and cats because they have them as companions in their homes. But we also know that because of that human-animal bond, our dog meat campaign can motivate people to think about other animals like pigs, cows and chickens who also suffer for the food industry, and that can push people to make more compassionate food choices overall.

Humane World for Animals develops a legally binding agreement with each farmer to permanently close their dog farm and have the cages destroyed. That contract with the farmer also ensures they will never return to farming dogs or any other animals in the future. We develop a business plan with them to help them transition to a humane livelihood.

The dogs we rescue from South Korea are transported to Shelter and Rescue Partners in the U.S., Canada and, sometimes, the U.K., which then facilitate the adoptions after assessing and addressing any health or behavioral concerns. We have a network of Shelter and Rescue Partners and they may not be the same for each farm closure. Information on Shelter and Rescue Partners will be posted here when available. We ask that those interested in adoption contact the Shelter and Rescue Partners directly to find out how to meet the dogs and apply to adopt.

Shutting down a dog meat farm and bringing the dogs to safety in compliance with local and international law is a huge undertaking that requires substantial funding, planning and coordination. Thank you for your patience.

If you do adopt (or have adopted) a South Korea rescue dog, please tag us in a photo @humaneworldforanimals on Facebook and Instagram!

Unfortunately, animal adoption isn’t common in South Korea. There are very few shelters, most of which are already overcrowded. In addition, there is a misconception among Koreans—perpetuated by dog meat traders—that “meat dogs” found on farms are somehow different from “pet dogs.” Humane World for Animals is slowly changing this perspective by showcasing the countless adoptions of former meat dogs into loving families in the U.K., U.S. and Canada, and we hope to help encourage more of an adoption culture over time.

The compelling and very sad stories of the Korean dogs help to increase awareness of the good work that local animal shelters do and the help they offer to all homeless dogs and cats in need. The Korean dogs’ story brings people to the shelters to adopt, but in many cases, people walk away with other dogs from the shelter. Overall adoption goes up in these shelters of all dogs awaiting adoption, despite the initial interest in just the specific dogs with a story.

We have a full and active campaign to end the dog meat trade across Asia that sees us work primarily in South Korea, China and Indonesia. We work closely with local governments, animal welfare organizations, media and celebrities to increase public awareness about key issues such as animal cruelty and threats to human health from the trade. Within Indonesia, as part of the Dog Meat-Free Indonesia coalition, we have exposed the horrific cruelty of the trade including at live animal markets in North Sulawesi, and are actively working with local governments to crack down on the trade. Our ultimate goal is an Indonesia-wide ban. 

In China, Humane World for Animals is supporting numerous local animal welfare organizations in addressing the dog meat trade within their own country. Since August 2014, our partner groups have assisted the rescue of thousands of dogs and cats across China from large transport vehicles carrying hundreds of captured dogs in crowded cages to their deaths at slaughterhouses. Together with our partner groups Vshine and CAWA, we support two shelters in Dalian and Beijing where animal victims of the dog and cat meat trade can receive veterinary treatment and care. 

In South Korea, our dog meat farm closures make the news headlines, helping expose the truth behind the trade and dispelling a strong misconception that there is a difference between a “pet dog” and a “meat dog.” All breeds are found on the farms and every one of them suffers the same and has the same capacity to be a loving, family companion when given the opportunity. Our farm closure models directly display a program that can be adopted by the Korean government to put an end to the trade for good. We’re optimistic that we can shut down this industry in South Korea and beyond within the next 10 years. 

Humane World for Animals is also an active member of the Asia Canine Protection Alliance, through which we are collaborating with local governments throughout Southeast Asia to implement or strengthen regulations to end the trade, raise awareness about the human health threats from the trade, and promoting humane dog management strategies and responsible companion animal care. To learn more about our end dog meat campaign, visit humaneworld.org/dogmeat.

The farmers allow our team to take photos of the dogs on the farm as part of our efforts to raise enough funds to shut down the farm, and they also allow us access at the same time to provide vaccinations required for the dogs’ travel. Shutting down the farm and bringing the dogs to safety in compliance with local and international law is a huge undertaking that requires substantial funding, planning and coordination, not least to find shelter partners in the receiving countries able to accommodate large volumes of dogs from overseas. Once identified, we assist the farmer with making improvements to the dogs’ living conditions. We perform random inspections to make sure the dogs are safe and well-fed, and that injuries and illnesses are being treated until we’ve established a concrete plan to transport the dogs to our Shelter and Rescue Partners.

Humane World for Animals goes above and beyond the legal requirements for bringing dogs into the U.S. and other countries. Once a farm is secured, our staff visit with our Korean veterinarian and provide rabies, DHPP, canine coronavirus and canine influenza vaccinations, along with microchipping. We also test for the presence of canine influenza and provide deworming. Additionally, the farm is closed during this time so no new dogs come into the property and no dogs leave, except those requiring extra care, who are transferred to a different facility. This occurs for a minimum of 30 days prior to removal. During the 30-day period, our staff in Korea stays in contact with the farmer and visits the farm, taking out any animals that appear to need veterinary care. After the 30 days are up, the process for flying the animals out begins. At this time, the dogs are transported to either our temporary shelter or directly to our partner shelters and rescues. Upon arrival in the U.S. or Canada, the dogs are further tested for heartworm and tick-borne diseases and are given booster vaccines, bordetella and further deworming, as well as further examination by a veterinarian before a determination is made regarding readiness for adoption.

Although we always appreciate the offer, we have a well-trained and experienced animal rescue team that specializes in the handling methods for dogs from these farms and similar situations, and for this reason we’re unable to accept the generous offers of volunteers to help with the South Korea rescues.

If you are unable to donate at this time, please know how important and appreciated your advocacy is to our organization. Please continue to sign our petitions, follow our social media and share our posts to participate in our collective effort to achieve change for animals.

We are very careful in spending funds from our generous donors. We are accredited by the Better Business Bureau and score consistently high rankings across charity review sites. 85% of our funds go toward lifesaving animal protection programs, 10% toward fundraising and 5% toward administrative costs.

If you have any questions that weren’t answered above or by searching our website, please send an email to info@humaneworld.org and we will respond as soon as possible.