Gus Kenworthy, an American skier from Colorado, rescued 90 dogs from a dog meat trade in South Korea while competing in Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
In 2014, Kenworthy went through the long process of bringing two puppies he found near Olympic Village in Sochi, Russia, back home to America. Those dogs are now healthy, and are social media superstars: Sochi pups Jake and Mishka.
This year, Kenworthy and his boyfriend, actor Matthew Wilkas, visited one of 17,000 dog farms in Korea. He shared on Instagram:
“This morning Matt and I had a heart-wrenching visit to one of the 17,000 dog farms here in South Korea. Across the country, there are 2.5 million dogs being raised for food in some of the most disturbing conditions imaginable. Yes, there is an argument to be made that eating dogs is a part of Korean culture. And, while don’t personally agree with it, I do agree that it’s not my place to impose western ideals on the people here. The way these animals are being treated, however, is completely inhumane and culture should never be a scapegoat for cruelty. I was told that the dogs on this particular farm were kept in ‘good conditions’ by comparison to other farms.”
With the help of Humane Society International, the farm was shut down and all 90 dogs were brought to US and Canada for adoption. He and his partner decided to adopt one of the dogs.
“I adopted the sweet baby in the first pic (we named her Beemo) and she’ll be coming to the US to live with me as soon as she’s through with her vaccinations in a short couple of weeks. I cannot wait to give her the best life possible! There are still millions of dogs here in need of help though (like the Great Pyrenees in the 2nd pic who was truly the sweetest dog ever).”
He hopes that his post will spread awareness about the cruel treatment of dogs everywhere and he encourages everyone to adopt one of these furry friends.
“I’m hoping to use this visit as an opportunity to raise awareness to the inhumanity of the dog meat trade and the plight of dogs everywhere, including back home in the US where millions of dogs are in need of loving homes! Go to @hsiglobal’s page to see how you can help. #dogsarefriendsnotfood #adoptdontshop ❤🐶”
