MONTREAL—A total of 89 dogs and puppies rescued from a South Korean dog meat farm in March have all left Humane Society International/Canada’s Montreal emergency shelter. Most of the dogs are now in forever homes while others have been placed with rescue organizations and will be available for adoption. HSI worked with SPAs, SPCAs, rescue groups and humane societies in Canada and in the U.S. to find loving homes for the rescued dogs and puppies.

This rescue was made possible in large part by a generous contribution from animal rescuer Eric Margolis. Mr. Margolis and the Eric S. Margolis Family Foundation have sponsored HSI in rescuing thousands of abused and neglected dogs and other animals from Quebec puppy mills and neglect cases as well as the Chinese and South Korean dog meat trade. We also wish to extend our deepest gratitude to Emmanuelle Gattuso and Etienne Borgeat for their invaluable support.

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Our temporary sheltering operation was also made possible by HSI’s shelter staff and volunteers. In the past months they have worked around the clock to heal these dogs and help them gain trust in people. In addition, corporate partners including Mondou, Kruger, Sharp Transportation, Kane Vet Supplies, and Global Pet Foods / Pitou & Minou who provided sheltering supplies and pet food for our shelter.

Our Montreal emergency shelter is set to re-open in mid-June, when HSI/Canada will help close another dog meat farm in South Korea.

Rebecca Aldworth, executive director for HSI/Canada, said: “The rescue of nearly 90 dogs from a horrific South Korean dog meat farm in March was truly a community effort. From the generosity of our top supporter Eric Margolis, to the tireless efforts of our shelter team, our corporate partners who donated products to the shelter, and our placement partners, everyone came together to give these dogs a second chance. Just weeks ago, some of these dogs were too terrified to come out of their enclosures. Now, most are already in loving, forever homes. We are thrilled to see these dogs recover from the trauma they endured and become ambassadors for our campaign to end the global dog meat trade.”

The rescued dogs—which include jindo mixes, husky mixes and Great Pyrenees-mixed breed dogs—were subjected to horrible conditions. Living in isolated and barren wire cages, they subsisted on a diet of restaurant waste. The owner of the farm voluntarily surrendered the dogs and has since transitioned to a new, more humane vocation with the help of HSI. Take action and donate now to help.

Media Contact: Christopher Paré, 514.395.2914/438-402-0643, cpare@hsi.org