Free Korean Dogs (FKD) is a registered charity in Canada (BN:80580 0166RR0001).
Free Korean Dogs US (FKD US) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization #85-2573367. State of Washington charitable organization registration #2004912.
Founded in Toronto, Canada on July 1st, 2015, our organizations rescue dogs from Korea’s dog meat trade and other at-risk circumstances and find their forever loving homes in Canada and the US.
Where We Began:
It all started when EK Park, Founder and Executive Director of Free Korean Dogs, was visiting her native home country of South Korea. While driving through the countryside she witnessed 2 men relentlessly beating a dog while hanging it by its neck from a bridge. Horrified, she pulled over and pleaded with them to stop but was met with indifference, stating they were simply preparing the dog to be slaughtered for dinner.
Millions of dogs are slaughtered for meat consumption in Korea every year. Most of them are kept in tiny, overcrowded cages in dog meat farms, provided no water or shelter from the elements, and fed only scraps of waste every few days. It is also common practice for dogs to be brutally tortured prior to slaughter as it is believed to enhance flavor and nutritional healing properties despite an overwhelming lack of evidence to support these claims.
Korea is the only country in the world that commercially farms dogs for food. Lack of legislation regulating the Korean dog meat trade result in the lack of standards for safety or humane treatment. Simply speaking, dogs can be obtained by any means, whether farmed or captured as strays, and treated in unfathomable, inhumane manners without consequence. The dog meat trade in Korea is a legislative gray area and political landmine that nobody in power wants to address.
Rescue, Adoption, and Public Awareness
Our international rescue and adoption program saves hundreds of dogs each year from the Korean dog meat trade and finds their homes in Canada and the US. Since 2015, we have shut down two dog meat farm operations, rescued over 200 dogs directly from the dog meat trade, and saved over 900 dogs at risk of being sold into the meat trade or from euthanasia at high kill shelters. As of December 2020, through rescue and rehabilitation we have successfully found forever homes for over 1000 dogs with families in Canada and the US.
We aim to promote public awareness to create a cultural shift from cruelty to compassion both locally and abroad through education, campaigns, and events. By fostering a community of volunteers, partners, adopters and supporters, we hope to improve welfare standards and quality of life so one day all dogs and animals are afforded peaceful and happy lives.
Join Us
Here’s how you can get involved right now:
- Adopt a dog rescued from the Korean dog meat trade.
- Donate today to support our adoption, awareness and community building efforts.
- Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media to track our progress.
- Contact us with any questions or to learn more.