On Wednesday, July 26, 'The Blue House' of South Korea announced that Moon Jae-In, their newly elected president, had adopted a dog rescued from the meat trade.
Source: Facebook/The Blue House
A post on their Facebook page showed the president embracing his new four-pawed companion, Tory.Tory was once kept on a dog meat farm, waiting to be sold, until luckily he was rescued Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE), the largest animal welfare organization in South Korea.
Source: CARE
This makes Tory the country's new first dog, and also the first homeless dog in the history of The Blue House, causing astark contrast to previous presidents. In particular, this forward thinking move is miles away from the previous president, Park Geun-Hyewho abandoned her nine dogs when she was impeached after a scandal.Tory will live in his new luxurious home with two other animals, a 10-year-old Pungsan named Mary and a cat named Jjing-jjing, a far cry from his previous life. The adorable dog had been at the shelter for two years without finding a home as there is prejudice in Korea against darker colored dogs.Luckily, President Moon fell for the adorable dog and can now give him the life he deserves.
Source: Yonhap News
During President Moon's election campaign, he pledged to make the country a better place for humans and animals alike. He has promised to build more playgroundsfor pets and feeding facilities for strays. His stance on the dog meat trade is however not as strong, and the president aims to gradually put an end to it rather than an immediate ban.Moon stated at his welcome ceremony:
As a society, we need to pay more attention to abandoned animals and care for them.
Source: Facebook/The Blue House
President Moon has made a huge step in the right direction to change attitudes towards animals in South Korea. However, this is still a long way to go.Luckily, in South Korea and China, the number of citizens who eat dog meat is on the decline. But the fight does not end here - we need to keep on campaigning until the trade is outlawed completely. LCA has made incredible progress in the fight against this horrifying industry.You can help support their vital workby making a donation.To sign the petition to end the slaughter of thousands of innocent dogs and cats, click here.
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