Dog Rescued From Meat Market Travels Over 5,000 Miles to Meet With New Adoptive Family

A dog rescued from the dog meat trade and flown over 5,000 miles to the U.S. has finally found her forever home.

On Thursday, Aug. 28, Aurora, a three-year-old dog saved from the Miryang dog meat farm in South Korea more than two years ago, arrived in San Francisco and met her new owner, Natasha Lee, for the first time.

According to the animal advocacy group In Defense of Animals, which organizes overseas flights for dogs rescued from the meat trade, Aurora was saved from the farm in March 2023. She had been tied up with a short chain and lacked consistent access to food or water.

After her rescue, Aurora was taken to Jindo Love Rescue, where staff discovered she was pregnant.

“We had no idea Aurora was pregnant when we saved her,” said Patti Kim, President of Jindo Love Rescue. “She nurtured her puppies until they were adopted, then patiently waited for two long years herself. We are overjoyed that Aurora is finally home. She is a gentle, shy soul who deserves nothing but love and happiness.”

Following her rescue, Aurora gave birth to four puppies — Daffy, Bugs, Babs, and Taz — all of whom have since been adopted. After spending two years at Jindo Love Rescue, Aurora was finally ready to join her new family.

“I’m super excited to bring Aurora home,” said Natasha Lee. “I am very lucky and fortunate to adopt her,” she added, noting that Aurora will have a canine sibling, Solo. “The Jindo Love Rescue team are the real MVPs here.”

Since 2017, Jindo Love Rescue has partnered with In Defense of Animals to rescue over 1,200 dogs from South Korea’s dog meat trade and transport them to families in the U.S. and Canada.

“I was touched by Aurora’s story when I first became aware of it, and I have been following her journey,” said Michael Angelo Torres, a Bay Area campaigner for In Defense of Animals. “It was a real honor to greet Aurora on her arrival in San Francisco and spend time with Natasha, her adopter. It was incredibly moving to see them meet, and I look forward to updates about Aurora’s wonderful new life with her loving family. I am so inspired by all those who made this dream come true. It truly takes a village, and Aurora’s village included amazing, compassionate people.”

Despite being a centuries-old practice, the global dog meat trade has long been controversial. In 2024, South Korea passed legislation banning the sale of dog meat. The law, which prohibits breeding, farming, and selling dogs for meat, will take full effect in 2027. Anyone found guilty of butchering dogs after that point could face up to three years in prison, according to NBC News. Selling dog meat was outlawed in the U.S. in 2018.

According to Fleur Dawes, communications director at In Defense of Animals, more than half a million dogs still live on meat farms in South Korea ahead of the ban.

“Aurora was raised to be butchered, but now she is a beloved family member,” Dawes said. “With South Korea’s historic dog meat ban phasing in, half a million dogs are still trapped on farms. We are working urgently to save as many as possible before the 2030 deadline. The years of dedicated teamwork it takes to rescue dogs like Aurora show just how special these animals are, and how much joy and love come from adopting a dog meat survivor.”