The dogs in question are all mixed-breed varieties of either a Japanese Mastiff, also known as a Tosa, which can grow to 130 pounds (59 kg), or of a smaller Korean Jindo, a hunting dog closer in size to an Akita.
Animal rights advocates are seeking homes for scores
of dogs raised for South Korea's canine meat market
but sent to the United States for adoption after their
breeder switched to growing rice, the head of a
regional Humane Society said on Wednesday.
Nine
of 25 dogs rescued by the Humane Society of Southwest Washington have
already been adopted, and 78 other dogs from the same Korean farm have
been taken in by other shelters in Washington state and California, said
Stacey Graham, president of the Vancouver, Washington, nonprofit.
The
dogs in question are all mixed-breed varieties of either a Japanese
Mastiff, also known as a Tosa, which can grow to 130 pounds (59 kg), or
of a smaller Korean Jindo, a hunting dog closer in size to an Akita.
The
animals were purchased through a Humane Society International effort
aimed at pursuading breeders across 17,059 South Korean dog farms to
halt the practice of raising domestic dogs for meat.
The global organization said an estimated 2 million dogs are raised and slaughtered for meat in South Korea each year.
"These
dogs were raised in cages and had no understanding of spatial
boundaries, they had never been on a leash. Most are 1-to-3 years old,
and they behave like gigantic puppies because they don't know anything
about the world," Graham said.
Shelter
workers spent six weeks helping the dogs acclimate to the company of
people and training them to walk on a leash and respond to basic
commands before issuing a call on Tuesday for adoptive families, she
said.
Humane Society International is seeking to
increase advocacy surrounding South Korean attitudes toward dog meat in
the run-up to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Graham said.
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