Eighteen dogs have been granted a new lease on life after being saved from a slaughterhouse in Vietnam. This wasn’t your typical dog rescue story, though, because the owner of the aforementioned slaughterhouse was the one who surrendered the pups to the Humane Society International (HSI), essentially sparing their lives.
Destined for More Than Dog Meat
Mr. Hiep is a 40-year-old businessman living in the Thai Nguyen province, which is known for its dog meat supply. For the past five years, his business has murdered 10 – 15 dogs daily, according to a release from HSI. But Mr. Hiep recently experienced a change of heart and joined Models for Change, an HSI program that incentivizes people to get out of the dog meat trade.
HSI assisted in retrieving the 18 dogs at Mr. Hiep’s business, where many canines were “locked up in cages for fattening to reach slaughter weight.” After being vaccinated against rabies and distemper, the pups were taken to temporary shelters and rehabilitation centers at the Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry. Once they are healthy and stable, the fur babies will be placed for adoption.
Saving Dogs, One Slaughterhouse at a Time
Models for Change originated in 2015 in South Korea and has since expanded to Vietnam. To date, it has shuttered 17 dog meat farms and rescued 2,500 dogs.
With the help of HSI and his home country’s Departments of Agriculture and Animal Health, Mr. Hiep is now transitioning to agricultural services instead.
Mr. Hiep acknowledged in a statement that he knows “in my heart that killing and eating dogs is wrong.”
He also admitted that “it was becoming harder and harder for me to do it. I am convinced that being part of this trade was bringing my family bad karma, so I am relieved to work with HSI in Vietnam to end this chapter in my life and start afresh.”
We’re sure all the rescued pups — and their future parents — are grateful that Mr. Hiep did the right thing.
