Had no one intervened, Dori’s fate would have ended in one of two ways. In the first scenario, he would have been slaughtered for meat and cooked into a soup during Boknal, Korea’s annual tradition where dog meat is consumed under the (unfounded) belief it boosts the immune system, among other health benefits. As a Korean Tosa, also known as a Korean Mastiff, Dori’s breed is widely considered to be a “dog meat breed” and as a result is commonly bred, stigmatized, and marginalized as such.
Adoption story
Winter brings spring
As the pandemic hit in 2020, I quarantined with my beloved 14 year old rescue dog Rascal. I knew we were in our last season together, and I put all of my energy into making the most out of our time. He was the best dog I’ve ever known, and my best friend. At the time, I couldn’t even imagine opening my heart to another dog anytime soon. But I knew the day would come, and I wondered if getting Rascal’s DNA test might point me in the right direction when that time came.
A New Life for Yellow
We are so happy to share updates about Yellow‘s new life in Canada.
Sarah to the Rescue
We have always loved animals, but our busy work schedules made it impractical to add a dog to our lives. For years I was feeding the birds and squirrels in our back yard as well as buying toys and treats for our friends’ adorable dachshund instead.
The Little Shaggy Angel of My Life
One morning in December 2017 when I was working from home, I realized how lucky I was. I had just bought my own place with my fiancé and was slowly furnishing our new home. We have one small dog Savannah, a long hair Chihuahua who weights all of 2 lbs. Since our move, she seemed to be a little lonely. In our past home, we had more family around. I decided to go online and see what it takes to rescue a dog. I browsed a few sites and ended up on FreeKoreanDogs.org.
My name is Dave
It wasn’t always Dave. I had a temporary name, Da-Haeng, when I was rescued. Before, I was a dog hanging by the noose, waiting to be slaughtered. I was being beaten so that I could be tenderized for dog meat soup during Boknal. I was destined to die and become food.
Jindo Love
Our Search
We’ve always loved dogs, and when we finally bought our first house and were settled we were heart set and determined to find a rescue dog perfect for us. What we didn’t know was how competitive it would be!
Meet My Beautiful Korean Granddaughter
The video was so heartbreaking, the kind you watch then wish you’d never clicked “play.”
Away from the competition on the field, the Olympic Games can shine a global spotlight on a country’s human or animal rights atrocities, and in Pyeongchang, South Korea, the biggest news story outside of the sporting events was about the dog meat trade.
Terry, the Best Snuggle Buddy
While my husband and I knew that we wanted a dog eventually, we were trying to keep ourselves content with following puppy accounts on Instagram and pointing out cute dogs we saw on our walks to the beach. Still, we found ourselves occasionally checking PetFinder and other sites.
Just Jindo It: The First Year of Life with Louie
Four harnesses, seven pairs of shoes, 3,360 miles walked: these are just a few of the numbers that reflect the first year we’ve spent together since Louie (formerly Jungyi) landed in Seattle last April 2017.
Jindo, obssed with ice cubes
As soon as we saw Wilson on the Free Korean Dogs website, we knew he had to be ours! The wait time for Wilson felt long, and there were some hiccups in the arrival, but as soon as we got him we felt bonded.
Meet Charlotte who brings out the best in me
One afternoon in 2017, I was lazily looking at pictures of dogs on the internet. Something came over me, and the dog memes quickly became rescue websites. When I came across the Free Korean Dogs website, I didn’t know what I was getting into. I rationalized that because I had started working from home, it was time. I knew I couldn’t handle a puppy; I also knew getting an older dog would soon be heartbreaking. Then I saw Charlotte. I contacted Free Korean Dogs quickly, requesting Charlotte, awaiting a response with baited breath.