46 Dogs Rescued From South Korean Dog Meat Farm Arrive In NYC
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Forty-six dogs rescued from a dog meat farm in Goyang, South Korea, have arrived in New York City to start new lives.
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The dogs arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport on Saturday.
According to Kelly O'Meara, of Humane Society International, the dogs were kept in filthy metal cages and were fed just enough to survive.
"Pretty much all you could see is eyes staring at you because it's so dark in there, and the smell alone," O'Meara said. "Just to know that that's what they had to live in day in and day out -- it's a miserable existence."
There may be up to 17,000 dog meat farms in South Korea, 1010 WINS Roger Stern reported. According to HSI, this is the seventh dog meat farm they have helped close.
The dogs will be transported to several shelters in Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York.
The Animal Habitat Shelter of New York will work with the traumatized animals to make sure they are well-adjusted for adoption.
"Things like just hand-feeding them, giving them treats as people walk by -- pretty much making them understand that hey, people are going to be okay," a representative from the shelter said.
HSI has rescued a total of 825 dogs since 2015 as part of their campaign to end the dog meat trade in South Korea.