Korean Meat Farm Dogs Thriving Five Months After Rescue

PHOTOS: Hope, a Korean Jindo mix, is available for adoption. Abi, a Corgi-Cattle dog, is enjoying life after being adopted from the Animal Welfare League of Arlington. Photos by Shelley Castle Photography

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Five months after being rescued from Korean meat farms, nearly two dozens dogs are enjoying a new lease on life at homes in Northern Virginia or they’re available for adoption at area shelters, according to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA).

The dogs were rescued from a meat farm in Seoul, South Korea by Humane Society International in partnership with an alliance of Northern Virginia and District of Columbia animal shelters.

After a quarantine period, the dogs were dispersed among six local shelters in the DC metro area, including Animal Welfare League of Arlington, Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, Fairfax County Animal Shelter, Loudoun County Animal Services, City of Manassas Animal Control and Adoption Shelter and The Washington Animal Rescue League.

Previously, the dogs were kept in inhumane conditions and were once destined to be food. Now, the dogs have either been adopted into loving homes or are currently in foster homes receiving the enrichment they need while waiting to be adopted, according to the AWLA.

Below is a glimpse into the lives some of the Korean dogs are now enjoying:

Hope

• Hope, a Korean Jindo mix, came to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington skittish, hyper vigilant and aloof. She looked and acted like a street dog. However, because she is food-motivated and a quick study, AWLA staff and volunteers were able to start basic training and give her some much-needed mental stimulation. Hope is great with other dogs and like so many under-socialized, fearful dogs; she found solace in companionship with others of her own kind.

Hope made fast progress with training, but winning her trust was slow going. So for the time being she is currently in a long-term foster arrangement with a local training facility, where she plays all day at an off-leash daycare facility and goes home with the owner at night. This arrangement is allowing her to adjust at her own pace to new people and experiences in the reassuring presence of other dogs. Her foster guardian, Rachel Jones of K9Divine, says:

“Hope, has adapted very quickly to the comforts of home life – Day 1: slept on the bare floor; Day 2: moved onto a dog bed; Day 3: slept on the couch; Day 4: climbed the narrow, windy staircase to my bedroom and slept on the bed.

She started out not allowing me to touch her. She would touch my hand with her nose, but if I reached for her she would run away. If I did manage to catch her, she would flinch when I petted her. She still gets nervous if I reach for her, but if I let her come to me she now enjoys being petted.

She is still a bit nervous about going through doorways – she hesitates and won’t go if a person or a dog is blocking her path. She also hasn’t warmed up to anyone but me. At no time has she shown any aggression to either a person or a dog. She is very happy to be here and shows no inclination to escape or run away. She follows me everywhere and comes when I call her. She is potty trained and has not shown any destructive behavior. I think she would be a great pet for anyone who is gentle and patient and willing to take some time to let her warm up. Probably not a good fit for someone who has young children or who would be relying on dog walkers or strangers to come in and care for her.

Hope is now available for adoption at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, visit www.awla.org for more information about meeting Hope.

Abi

• Abi, a one year-old, female, Corgi-Cattle Dog mix is social, but worried. While at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington she’d eagerly approach the front of her kennel to greet passersby, but got concerned and twitchy when anyone entered her kennel or, heaven forbid, reached toward her. Abi amused herself by escaping through a weak spot in the fencing of her run and wandering the corridors. She was a beguiling blend of shy and wiley.

Abi was adopted recently by a couple who were first time dog owners. Defying preconceived notions that only an experienced dog pro could handle the complexities of socializing a former meat farm dog, this pair turned out to be a perfect match. They did extensive research, asked dozens of astute questions, and possessed uncanny instincts, reading Abi’s body language with ease and consistently intuiting what she needed to feel safe. They rearranged their work schedules so that one or both of them could be home with Abi for the entire first month. According to Abi’s adopters, Jackie and DJ Wooddell, This is Abi’s new life so far:

She sits on mom’s and dad’s laps, sleeps in their bed, plays with toys, chews on bones, and, naturally, unlatches her crate and let herself out. She has mastered the three flights of stairs to her apartment, rides in the car with aplomb, and walks boldly on leash in the woods and near busy roads. In short, she’s a normal dog. She still flinches at quick movements and is wary of new people, but she’s pleasantly surprised everyone with her smooth transition to life on Easy Street.