This week, we brought two precious dog meat survivors from South Korea to the U.S., and their adopters welcomed them into their homes and families. Their safe arrival is something to celebrate on its own, but it’s also a reminder about how much needs to be done to end the dog meat trade as Boknal days begin today.

We rescued Nabi (formerly Opel) and Jack (formerly Dash) from the dog meat trade with our rescue partner Jindo Love Rescue. Together, we’ve rescued hundreds of dogs from becoming victims of this brutal trade, and placed them in loving forever homes in North America.

Nabi and Jack arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday to much fanfare, joining nine others who have arrived in Los Angeles alone since the beginning of May.

While they’re all now safe and settling into their new lives, millions of others like them won’t be so lucky. An estimated 2.5 million dogs are still raised and slaughtered in South Korea every year, which remains the only country that still allows intensive farming of dogs for human consumption.  

The numbers alone are heartbreaking, especially when we consider how special each of the dogs we’ve rescued is, but the suffering they experience throughout their lives and during transport and slaughter makes it even more crushing.

While dog meat is consumed throughout the year in South Korea, it peaks during Boknal days, which are the three hottest days of the year determined by the lunar calendar. These days known as Chobuk, Jungbok, and Malbok, and this year, they fall on July 16 and 26, and August 15.

Thousands of dogs will be butchered for their meat, which is typically consumed in soup known as bosintang. There’s a long-held belief among some segments of South Korean society that consuming dog meat will provide relief from the heat and humidity.

While countless dogs are in suffering right now, attitudes about dog meat are changing across Asia.

Already this year, we’ve been able to celebrate new bans on dog meat. Shenzhen and Zhuhai became the first cities to ban dog meat in China, which also removed dogs from its list of livestock and declared them companions. Nagaland, India followed with a ban on dog meat, and so did the Cambodian province of Siem Reap, which is a major tourist hotspot.

We’re standing with local activists fighting the dog meat trade everywhere it exists, and working toward seeing a similar change in South Korea.

In the meantime, you can help support our efforts by adopting a rescued dog meat survivor, volunteering to act as a courier to fly a dog to safety from South Korea, or making a donation. Any and all actions to help are greatly appreciated. Thank you!