EK in Korea

We are excited to announce that production has started in Korea on our documentary film Compassion Soup: the End of Dog Meat in Korea. On March 29th, EK flew to Korea for two months of filming, loaded down with what seemed like way too much equipment for one small person to handle. The goal of this trip is to capture perspectives from both those in the dog meat trade and those trying desperately to stop it.

We are also using this opportunity to build stronger collaborative ties with the incredible animal rescuers and advocates on the ground in Korea. While there are a number of animal activist groups in Korea, they are quite splintered and distributed, which makes it challenging to effectively collaborate as a whole.

Challenging Journey in Korea

On top of the technical and physical challenges of shooting a documentary, this trip is already taking an emotional toll on EK. The following is a transcript of her comments in the video above:

I’m in Korea now to shoot my documentary Compassion Soup: the End of Dog Meat in Korea. It’s tough to be here, because everywhere I go I see a dog tied to a pole, often with no water, no food, no shelter, nothing. And several dog meat farms. And I also saw 18 dog meat restaurants around this area. I know for many Koreans, eating dog meat is the same as eating beef or pork. A lot of people say, you can’t save all these dogs in Korea. It’s like a drop in the bucket. I know that, but the drop really matters to me.

On a personal note, I’m finding it increasingly difficult to sit here on the other side of the world and watch while EK experiences this journey alone. As EK’s life partner, I feel like I should be there for help and support.

Alas, I stayed behind in Toronto to take care of our fur babies and day-to-day affairs. While I admire EK’s courage and commitment, it doesn’t help to calm the feeling that I should be there to carry her camera, hold her hand and share her burden.

Change Through Compassion

Despite the challenges, we believe this journey is well worth the effort. We believe in the power of documentary film to affect positive change in world. That’s why we’re on this mission.

Free Korean Dogs has a simple goal: to end the dog meat trade in Korea. In the short term, our international adoption program helps to find loving forever homes for dogs rescued from the Korean dog meat trade. The longer term solution, however, is to change perceptions and cultivate compassion toward dogs in Korea. That is the main purpose of this documentary.

As we sow the seeds of compassion towards all living beings, we move one step closer to a world of peace and harmony for all.

Let’s Walk This Journey Together

We’ve been quite overwhelmed by the amount of support we’ve received for this project. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone, from major sponsors to individual supporters, for your moral and financial support for this important project. Together we will make a difference, and we are truly grateful for your support.

If you’d like to follow EK on her journey through Korea, you can subscribe for weekly email updates or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+. To support the documentary, please consider making a donation.

I’m in daily contact with EK (today it will be to fix her laptop – sigh), so I’ll be posting regular updates as news trickles in. EK will also be posting dispatches from the field as she travels to rescue shelters, dog meat farms, meat markets to meet with key figures in the fight against the dog meat trade.

Let’s walk this journey together as we move toward a future of compassion for all living beings, one belly scratch at a time.