Wednesday, May 25, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
13
Shelter takes in dogs from South Korean dog-meat trade
By Jodi Schneider McNamee
Correspondent
BrightSide Animal Center
in Redmond has a core group
of volunteers working with 11
dogs they received over the
Easter holiday that were res-
cued from a dog-meat farm in
South Korea.
Together, the Humane
Society of Central Oregon
and BrightSide Animal
Center took in 28 dogs. After
an international flight from
South Korea through Humane
Society International’s (HSI)
rescue program, the dogs
were transported from San
Francisco to Central Oregon.
Patty Eiseman of Sisters
is a dog buddy volunteer for
BrightSide and is part of the
core group that has been help-
ing with the rehabilitation of
the South Korean dogs.
“We’ve been slowly
socializing the 11 dogs we
received and are trying to
get them used to humans
in a positive manner. They
came here with no reason to
trust any humans,” explained
Eiseman. “We are working
with the dogs. We just want
them to feel safe where they
are. Since some of them are
very shy of any humans, we
are going into their kennels
and just sitting there get-
ting them used to us. I have
brought in a collar and leash
and just hold it and let them
smell it. Then we throw them
treats so they associate us
with something positive.”
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countries across Asia to end
the dog-meat trade. The non-
profit rescued 250 dogs and
puppies from a meat farm in
Wonju, the fifth meat farm
that they have closed down as
part of their campaign to end
the eating of dogs in South
Korea. This is in conjunction
with The Humane Society
of the United States (HSUS)
Emergency Placement
Partner Program (HIS is the
HSUS international affiliate).
Adam Parascandola,
director of animal protection
and crisis response for HSI,
knows firsthand what it is like
to remove dogs from a meat
farm in South Korea.
“We step in and work
with the families to transi-
tion them to a different busi-
ness for income. We brought
the dogs over to the U.S. in
three different shifts, and they
have been flown to shelters
and rescues in the U.S. and
Canada for a second chance
at life,” Parascandola said.
“Most people in South
Korea have never seen a dog-
meat farm and are unaware
of the suffering experienced
by the dogs. Many dog-meat
farmers want to leave this
business behind them.
“Once we fly the dogs
to the U.S., we partner with
Kim Alboum, director of
the Emergency Placement
Partner Program for HSUS,
and she places the dogs,”
added Parascandola.
The Emergency Placement
Partners are a crucial element
in the HSUS national mission
to rescue abused animals.
Shelter manager Pat
Bowling was at BrightSide
when the dogs arrived last
March.
“When they first came in
they were frightened to death
and would cower at the back
of the kennel. These dogs
were totally out of their ele-
ment,” Bowling told The
Nugget. “You would take
them outside and they didn’t
know how to walk. Some of
their legs were bowed. These
dogs were bred for meat and
they were kept in cages. It’s
already been an amazing
transformation.”
The 28 rescued South
Korean dogs are a variety
of breed mixes, including
Labrador, mastiff, jingo and
elkhound. The dogs ranged in
age from four months to two
years old.
BrightSide’s dog trainer
Andrea Martin of Redmond
has been training with the
dogs since they arrived.
“The whole issue with
these dogs is trusting peo-
ple,” Martin said. “I have
noticed a shift in them from
the first few weeks to now.
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They cowered in the corner
of the kennel in the begin-
ning and now when a person
approaches them, their tails
are wagging and some jump
up to greet us. It takes a lot of
patience, and it is sure worth
it in the end.”
BrightSide adoption spe-
cialist Jen Cross has been
busy finding homes for the
dogs.
“I’m already starting to
make the really hard deci-
sions about what dog goes to
which home. We are really
going to take our time in find-
ing the right forever homes
for these dogs,” Cross said.
“We have to explain to all
applicants what these dogs
have been through. They
were so scared when they first
arrived that they shut down.
They had rarely been handled
by people. It was a very sad
scenario. Some of them also
had some physical ailments,
possibly from lack of care.
Some of the younger ones
photo provIded
Patty Eiseman with a rescued dog.
bounced back and a couple of
the puppies have already been
adopted.”
Most of the dogs are going
to be available soon. They will
have their vaccinations and
will be spayed and neutered
before going to any homes.
Their photos and information
are on BrightSide’s website,
BrightSideanimals.org.