Dogs rescued from illegal meat farm in South Korea up for Spokane adoption

Spokane’s canine population will grow by an extra 10 on Saturday when a plane touches down and delivers dogs rescued from an illegal meat farm in South Korea.

SpokAnimal is bringing the dogs to town, and they will be available for adoption on Monday. The Humane Society of the United States rescued the dogs from the farm.

“This is the 13th farm they’ve busted,” said Dori Peck, executive director of SpokAnimal.

The dogs coming to Spokane are all younger than a year in age, and range from a German Shepherd mix to a Maltese to Korean Jindos. They’ll be sterilized and microchipped before adoption, and will be available for $200 to $275, the normal price range for adoptions.

While not a common practice in the United States, dog meat has long been a part of South Korean cuisine. This June, however, a South Korean court ruled that the killing of dogs for meat is illegal, clarifying laws about dog meat consumption.

According to the Guardian, about 1 million dogs are believed to be eaten every year in South Korea, “but consumption has declined and the practice is now something of a taboo among younger generations amid increased pressure from activists.” Before the ruling by a city court in Bucheon, authorities relied on a cobbled together set of laws that relied on “hygiene regulations or animal protection laws that ban cruel slaughter methods to crack down on dog farms and restaurants.”

Peck said people still express shock when they hear of dog meat farms.

“People don’t really realize. They think it’s an old wives’ tale or hearsay, but this happens all the time,” she said. “It’s very prolific. It’s like any black market. They’re in it to make money.”