A New Chapter for Mia and Emma

On September 1st, 2018 Free Korean Dogs stepped in to liberate 69 canine residents (later to become 83 after the birth of a few litters from pregnant rescues) from a dog meat farm in Dangjin, S. Korea who were destined for slaughter. This is one of their stories:

I am so blessed to have two amazing girls. When we heard about Mia (formally Myunghee) and Emma’s rescue, we knew we had to adopt both mother and daughter. Mia was rescued from the Dangjin dog meat farm. Unbeknownst to the rescue team she had her only surviving baby, little Emma, strategically hidden in the corner of the cage to protect her. Sadly, we never found out if the rest of her puppies were sold, or simply did not survive.

Mia is a gem who follows me everywhere, will always come when called, and loves going for walks. It took weeks for her not to have her tail tucked under her belly. She needed a lot of love and patience, which has certainly been worthwhile because she now carries her tail proudly in the air!

She is very affectionate, loves being massaged, brushed, and is very generous with kisses! She still does not understand toys, stuffed animals, or balls, and instead prefers just to hang by me. With new people, Mia is protective and wary; she watches me closely to see if the person is ok. Her learning to trust has been incredible, and it has been a beautiful experience to earn it. More recently, she has learned to communicate with me by giving me a little bark when she wants to go out or a treat!

While she has come leaps and bounds, there are always little things that pop up that set her back. For example, if I drop something in the kitchen that startles her, she won’t go in for weeks. She also shakes like a leaf and hides when we make toast. But she bounces back quicker and quicker every time. Mia has a way of looking at me with such devotion in her eyes, it moves me to tears.

Emma, on the hand, is energetic, athletic, bouncy (boy can she jump high!), agile, and a very fast runner. So far, no dog can catch up with her! She is not cuddly, but instead shows affection by giving lots of kisses and asking for belly rubs and pets (just don’t touch her head). When I’m petting Mia, she demands attention by pushing her way in with her nose or tugging on my clothes. She is also extremely intuitive and sensitive to others. If someone is not feeling well, she will come over and lay her head on their lap.

Like her mom, she too was terrified of everything when we first brought them home. She still gets nervous when I bring something new into the house, but she grows with confidence everyday. Toys are not interesting yet, but pine cones are very entertaining, and “fetch” is coming along! Excellent hunting and tracking skills run in the family; they love to chase squirrels and sniff out rabbits and mice. Although she has a sensitive stomach, Emma loves to eat and is very stealthy when stealing food and treats from her mom. I think she would do amazing with agility training, which I’ve considered doing with her in the future. For now, my priority is building her confidence and comfort level.

 

Like the typical jindo, both girls hate water. Emma avoids the sprinklers at all costs and hates getting wet. When it rains, she lifts her feet really high to avoid getting wet. I bought a wade pool when they arrived, but it is now being used as a giant drinking bowl. The bond between them is adorable. They run and touch noses and lick each other when they see each other.

When we brought them home, my husband was still mourning the loss of Tasha, our dog who had passed away. It took him a while to warm up to them. They picked up on his energy and so they were wary of him too and bark whenever he came home. Now, he is buying them treats, playing with them, and sharing his dinner with them. We may have to upgrade to a king-sized bed soon as they both sleep in our bed with us! They certainly have him wrapped around their paws. He still misses Tasha a lot, but I see these two have brought laughter and love into his life again. It has been a difficult journey, but worth it in the end.

Story and photos by Kellie Hall