Samsun

Samsun bears a distinctive mark on her forehead, resembling the number three. In Korean, “three” is pronounced as “sam,” inspiring our South Korean team to name her Samsun.  

We first met Samsun on a South Korean dog meat farm, kept alive only to produce puppies that would be slaughtered for dog meat. Samsun was confined to a cage with her puppies—Jackson, Plumbly, and Buster—who had never experienced the outdoors beyond their cramped enclosure. The farm housed over 200 dogs, all of which exhibited evident signs of sickness, depression, or severe malnutrition.  

Thankfully, Humane Society International’s animal rescue team and HSI/Korea worked with the farmer to permanently close the facility. All 200 dogs, including Samsun and her puppies, were transported to Canada and the US for rehabilitation and care. 

A brown and white dog touches noses with a similar-looking puppy. The latter is held by an animal rescue team member wearing Humane Society International clothing. The dogs are behind bars on the dog meat farm, but are preparing to leave.
A brown and white dog in a crate is being transported out of a dog meat farm by two Humane Society International animal rescue workers.
A brown and white dog in the centre looks at the camera. She is behind bars, locked in a cage on a dog meat farms amongst hundreds of other dogs.

After receiving immediate veterinary care, Samsun and her puppies found a temporary haven at our care and rehabilitation centre near Montreal. Initially timid, her true character emerged the moment she started playing in the yard. While she wasn’t fond of leashes or collars, Samsun was gradually learning to trust humans, while capturing the hearts of our staff (and everyone on social media) with her endearing personality. 

Samsun required a bit more exposure to an outdoor environment to further develop her life-skills. Thus, she transitioned to what was initially a temporary foster home. Overcoming the initial fear of the couch, she now claims it as her own. Samsun has adapted to collars and harnesses, is mastering leash walking, and even formed a friendship with the family cat. 

 

A white and brown dog wears a purple collar and a red leash. She is a dog meat trade survivor and is lying down comfortably, looking up at the camera in her new forever home.
A orange and white dog meat trade survivor lies on a blanket, holding a toy in a living room.

Her foster family fell in love with her and decided to make the arrangement permanent. Now, Samsun resides with her loving family, including her feline friend. The only skill she has left to master? Getting off the couch, but in the warmth of her forever home, that’s a lesson she’s in no rush to learn. 

As for Samsun’s puppies, they are currently still residing at our care and rehabilitation centre.  

Buster, still wary of the world, is receiving dedicated attention from our team to show her that she is safe in her new life. At our centre, the kennels are strategically designed with windows overlooking the yard. This intentional layout provides dogs like Buster with opportunities to observe positive interactions with humans, fostering a sense of safety and encouraging play to build trust. Although she finds joy in watching her brother play in the yard, Buster is not quite confident enough to join in, but she gains more confidence by the day.  

 

An orange brown dog with matching eye colour smiles wide, staring at the camera.
An orange brown dog with matching eye colour wears a blue collar and a leash, standing on grass and looking at the camera.
An orange brown dog with matching eye colour wears a collar and a harness and two leashes. He is a dog meat trade survivor, standing in front of a snowy background.

And as for Plumbly, he just got adopted. While he is anxiously waiting for his family to pick him up at the centre, he is steadily gaining confidence with each passing day. He remains a bit shy, yet remarkably gentle. His love for dental sticks is undeniable; he takes every opportunity to sneakily steal them, dashing away to savor them in a quiet corner. Although he’s still figuring out the world of toys, the holiday gifts from our centre’s team have sparked his interest, and Plumbly is gradually learning how to play and will have the perfect opportunity to do so in his new home! 

Samsun’s other puppies are still looking for caring families to call their own. If you’re interested or know someone who might be, please reach out to our dedicated team. 

For more information, contact Ewa at [email protected]!