Simon Cowell’s contribution came just as Humane Society International (HSI) was preparing for its thirteenth farm closure in South Korea, following a record of 12 farms shut and nearly 1,400 dogs rescued in 2018. The £25,000 boost enabled the charity to cover the final disbursement of the farm’s closure package, allowing the farmer to transition to medicinal‑herb cultivation and preventing the sale of the remaining animals to the market.
The rescued animals endured months in iron‑barred cages, with untreated injuries and chronic skin conditions. HSI identified a mix of breeds—golden retrievers, Labradors, Tibetan mastiffs, Korean jindos and a Great Dane mix—among which Jean Claude, a Belgian Malinois, was found emaciated, and Quentin, a shar‑pei, suffered near‑blindness from an untreated eye infection.
HSI arranged transport for 200 dogs and puppies to four countries: Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the United States. The first batch landed in Toronto’s shelter network, where veterinarians provided immediate care, and the remainder were distributed to partner facilities that would monitor their recovery before considering them for adoption.
South Korea’s dog‑meat industry, estimated to raise 2.5 million dogs annually, is facing growing public opposition. A July 2018 petition with over 200,000 signatures prompted the president’s office to consider re‑classifying dogs as non‑livestock, while HSI continues to close farms to curb the trade. The next step for the charity is to target the remaining 10 farms, aiming for a total of 20 closures by the end of 2019.