Woman Sees 2 Puppies Being Sold At Worst Market And Knows She Has To Save Them

“Chance clung onto me so tight and nestled his head right in as if he knew his life depended on it" ❀

Last month, Suzi Lee, Sian Davies and Helen Kim visited Moran Market in South Korea, on a grim mission — they wanted to see if dog meat was being sold there.

Vendors at Moran Market typically slaughter and sell about 80,000 dogs each year, but the women had recently heard reports that the dog meat market had ended there. Unfortunately, the reports turned out to be false, and Lee, Davies and Kim encountered many vendors selling dog meat, as well as live dogs in cages awaiting to be slaughtered. While the dogs weren’t being butchered in open view, the women heard dogs crying out in pain and fear as they were killed in nearby locations.

Dogs in cages at meat market
Caged dogs awaiting slaughter at Moran Market | PFC

Much to the women’s dismay, they were unable to help most of the caged dogs they saw.

“They belonged to the butchers, and they wouldn't let us have them,” Lee, cofounder of Passion for Compassion (PFC), an organization that rescues dogs from the South Korean meat trade, told The Dodo. “They were cursing at us to leave and not to take any pictures.”

Woman touching dogs in cages
One of the rescuers trying to comfort caged dogs at Moran Market | PFC

As they were about to leave the market, Lee spotted two 3-month-old Korean Jindo puppies poking their heads out of a cantaloupe box. The puppies belonged to an elderly man, and he was about to sell them to one of the meat vendors. Lee alerted Davies and Kim.

Puppy poking his head out of box
PFC

“When I saw the puppies, my initial emotion was that of horror, as well as desperation and an overwhelming panic that we would not be able to save them,” Davies, who cofounded PFC with Lee, told The Dodo. “Each time you walk away from these dogs, knowing what fate lies in front of them, it breaks your heart. Their faces are embedded in your mind forever, and you carry it with you always. So yes, I was feeling utter and complete panic 
 to the point of losing my breath.”

Man trying to sell Korean Jindo puppies
PFC

Lee and Kim tried to talk to the man to see if he’d release the puppies to them. But then the butcher who was about to take the puppies himself stepped in. He aimed a hose at the women and sprayed them. Lee decided to get tactical.

“I told the seller [the elderly man] that the butcher is really rude and he was disrespecting him in front of us,” Lee said. “They got into a heavy argument. Korean culture is full of respect, and it’s especially important for elderly men. So I just made a little trouble between them.”

With the butcher in the owner’s bad graces, the women talked to the man again about releasing the puppies, whom they named Chance and Destiny. As they spoke with him, Davies grabbed onto Chance and bundled him into her arms, and Lee held onto Destiny.

“Chance clung onto me so tight and nestled his head right in as if he knew his life depended on it,” Davies wrote in a Facebook post after the incident. “Destiny was so fearful but seemed to calm as Suzi Lee held her.”

Women holding rescued dogs
Davies and Lee holding the rescued dogs | PFC

Eventually, they convinced the man to give Chance and Destiny to them. Then they hurried the puppies to safety at PFC’s new dog sanctuary in Namyangju-si, South Korea.

Puppy being driven to safety
PFC

“They were covered in ticks,” Davies said. “You don’t really see how bad it was in the photos, but there was so many. Lots in the ears and in the eyes, in between their toes and all over their bodies. We didn’t realize how many there were until we started to bathe them. These dogs live in horrific conditions.”

Korean Jindo dogs cuddling together
Chance and Destiny cuddling together after being rescued | PFC

Despite everything they’d been through, the puppies were in relatively good health, although they were underweight and had to be treated for worms. They also really needed a bath.

“They were dirty and smelled like trash, which is typical of dog meat dogs as they feed them garbage — disgusting rotting food full of maggots,” Davies said.

Rescued Korean jindo puppies
PFC

But with love, care and lots of attention, the puppies have slowly come out of their shells.

“They love people and playing and cuddles, just like normal puppies,” Davies said. “We are most certainly looking for great homes for these beautiful puppies.”

If you’re interested in adopting Chance or Destiny, you can contact Davies through her personal Facebook page.