TAMPA, FLA (January 12, 2017) – Fourteen dogs once bound for slaughter will be brought to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay (HSTB) for a second chance at life. *Rescuers with Humane Society International (HSI) transported 200 dogs saved from a South Korean dog meat farm in Wonju, South Korea, to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.As an **Emergency Placement Partner with the Humane Society of the United States (HSI is the international affiliate of The HSUS), Humane Society of Tampa Bay is one of 18 shelters across the United States, and one of six in Florida, that will welcome the dogs into their care to be placed for adoption into loving homes. See below for a full list of states and shelters.
Ten of the lucky dogs who will call Tampa their new home will arrive at Orlando International Airport on January 20, 2017 at 5:17pm. Humane Society of Tampa Bay representatives will be at the airport to welcome the dogs and transport them back to the shelter for an estimated arrival of 8:30pm. Media is invited to both locations.The remaining four dogs will arrive in Orlando on January 22, 2017, also at 5:17pm, and be transported to Tampa by Humane Society of Tampa Bay representatives.
“We were absolutely thrilled to be asked to assist with this rescue effort,” said Humane Society of Tampa Bay Chief Executive Officer Sherry Silk. “We are here to help animals in need, no matter where they come from, and will open our doors to them whenever we are able.”
“It has been heartwarming to see the staff’s excitement as they prepare for the arrival of these dogs,” said Humane Society of Tampa Bay Director of Shelter Operations Pam Backer. “We’ve all seen the videos and read the accounts of how much these dogs suffer and we just can’t wait to put our arms around them and tell them that they safe.”
The Humane Society of Tampa Bay will incur all costs of transporting and caring for these dogs until they are adopted. The dogs will likely need several weeks to recover from their journey before being ready to undergo spay/neuter surgery and be placed up for adoption. The Humane Society of Tampa Bay will keep the public updated on their progress through their blog, HumaneSocietyTampa.org/blog, and social media.
HSUS Emergency Placement Partners receiving dogs from the Wonju dog meat farm:
Florida:
Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County, hsvb.org
All For One Pet Rescue, allforonerescue.org
Humane Society of Marion County, thehsmc.org
Humane Society of Tampa Bay, humanesocietytampa.org
Humane Society of Broward County, humanebroward.com
Alachua County Humane Society, alachuahumane.org
Virginia:
Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, luckydoganimalrescue.org
Virginia Beach SPCA, vbspca.org
Animal Welfare League of Arlington, awla.org
Homeward Trails Animal Rescue, homewardtrails.org
Angels of Assisi, angelsofassisi.org
Ohio:
Wolfspirits Rescue, wolfspiritsrescue.com
Toledo Area Humane Society, toledohumane.org
Pennsylvania:
Ruth Steinert Memorial SPCA, rsmspca.org
Animal Care Sanctuary, animalcaresanctuary.org
North Carolina:
Pawfect Match Rescue, pawfectmatch.org
Oklahoma:
Humane Society of Tulsa, tulsapets.com
Washington, D.C.:
Humane Rescue Alliance, humanerescuealliance.org
*This rescue marks the sixth dog meat farm closure managed by HSI, with a total of 770 dogs rescued since January 2015 as part of the organization’s campaign to end the dog meat trade in South Korea and across Asia. For more information about HSI’s work to end the dog meat trade in Asia, visit hsi.org/dogmeat.
**Emergency Placement Partners are part of HSUS’s national network that aims to save animals from abuse by assisting with large-scale abuse cases such as hoarding situations, animal fighting, or puppy mill operations. Once HSUS removes animals from abusive situations, Emergency Placement Partners step up to care for and place the animals. As local groups with access to local resources, Emergency Placement Partners provide the animals with veterinary care, rehabilitation, and ultimately, placement in lifelong homes. For more information on HSUS’s Emergency Placement Partners, visit humanesociety.org/epp.
About the Humane Society of Tampa Bay
For more than 100 years, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay has been dedicated to ending animal homelessness and providing care and comfort for companion animals in need. Named a Four-Star Charity by Charity Navigator for eight years running, and accredited by AAHA, the standard in veterinary excellence, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay is dedicated to the highest standards in animal sheltering and veterinary care. Our adoption programs, Animal Health Center services, community outreach efforts and volunteer opportunities are essential to the health and well being of animals across Tampa Bay. The Humane Society of Tampa Bay is leading the way because every life counts. www.humanesocietytampa.org.
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