Over the last three years Dayleen van Ryswyk and her husband, Eduard have saved eight dogs from the dog meat industry in South Korea with the help of Nami Kim, the founder and leader of Save Korean Dogs .
In South Korea dog meat is considered a specialty at certain times of the year, and the dogs are often mistreated before being slaughtered because it’s believed to tenderize the meat.
The breed of dog that is most commonly considered live stock and not a proper companion are Jindos and specifically Nureongi, a Jindo with a golden coloured fur.
The van Ryswyks adopted two dogs first and brought them to work with them at their business after they had gotten used to being treated as companions and no longer lived in a cage. At Okanagan Koi & Water Gardens the customers reaction to the dogs inspired the couple to fly more dogs into Kelowna with the help of Kim.
RELATED: Ad looking for puppies and kittens to eat upsets pet lovers
“People say oh you are so wonderful but these dogs have changed my life,” said Dayleen.
“They have lived in wire cages that were above ground, they had never seen a ball, they had never touched grass, they were terrified of people which is fair, the only experiences they had were bad, they have seen and been around horrendous torture. So when they saw us they were rightly afraid. But we have three acres, so when they stood in the grass they looked really scared for three minutes and then the minute we turned back around they were rolling around with their faces in the grass, loving it like dogs, not a caged animal.”
RELATED: Letter: Pets are not food, they’re family
They kept the two that were the most traumatized, Kai and Chloe, but Dayleen has been pleasantly surprised to find that none of the dogs they have taken in and helped be adopted have had any health issues. Now Kai and Chloe are well adjusted to their Canadian lifestyle and are comfortable around people.
“I am just grateful for the Kelowna bylaw that only allows us to have three dogs, if not I would have kept all eight of them, they are just great dogs,” said Dayleen.
To inquire about adopting one of the rescued dogs from South Korea, or assisting Kim contact the van Ryswyks at Okanagan Koi & Water Garden 250-765-5641.
To report a typo, email:newstips@kelownacapnews.com.
@sydneyrmortonsydney.morton@kelownacapnews.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
