Saturday, October 22nd, 2016, marked the first annual Cause 4 Canines fundraising event in Oakville, Ontario. The event was hosted and organized by Alana Lewis, an ardent supporter of the movement to end the dog meat trade.
What started as an idea that came up while sitting around the family dinner table, ended up being a fundraiser that attracted 110 attendees. The event raised over $16,000, which well exceeded the $10,000 target amount. Funds raised at the event were distributed among a number of organizations working to end the dog meat trade in Asia, which included Free Korean Dogs.
Both EK and I were honoured to be invited to speak at the event about our dog rescue operation in Korea. We were so impressed with the amount of work that went into making the event a success, as well as the level of interest and engagement of those in attendance. Congratulations, Alana, to you and the team for your incredible work.
Alana summarized her motivation in the following simple and powerful statement:
The dog meat trade is rooted in intentional cruelty, intentional suffering and intentional torture, and that is wrong.”
One of the most common questions we receive is, “What can I do to help end the dog meat trade?” Especially for those in the West, it’s easy to feel like the problem is too big and too far away to have a meaningful impact. Some people choose to adopt one of our rescues from the dog meat trade, others apply to fly dogs to safety. Still others help by raising awareness about the dog meat trade through demonstrations, social media and their local community.
These are all useful ways to contribute, but the single biggest challenge we face is funding our operation on the ground in Korea. With a new batch of rescues pouring in, our current challenges are mounting veterinary bills and winterizing the shelter.
Ongoing financial support is critical to the success of our day-to-day operations. It’s a constant struggle just to keep the lights on and the dogs warm and fed. With the help of incredible people like Alana, however, we will end the Korean dog meat trade.
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