An Incredible 6,000 Mile Journey
From Dog Meat Farm to FieldHaven
Yalu
It is a remarkable change we have seen in Yalu since he came to FieldHaven in March, from eyes numb with fear and distrust to ones with a mischievous twinkle as he plays with toys or observes the activity in the shelter.
Yalu as found in Korea.
No human with a heart could even fathom what Yalu endured while living on a dog meat farm. He spent life living in a tight-spaced birdcage with a wire bottom. He could not even completely stand up or stretch his body to full length. The sounds around him were of constant frightened, barking dogs. This was his life until Humane Society International (HSI) and the Change for Animals Foundation came to intervene. They not only rescued each and every dog, but also re-established the farmer. The farmer now has the opportunity to tend to crops rather than slaughter dogs for meat.
Yalu flew nearly 6,000 miles to SFO airport with approximately fifty dogs rescued from the meat farm in South Korea. He was then taken to San Francisco SPCA.
Yalu today at FieldHaven with volunteer Lana.
After a thorough assessment, SF SPCA behavior specialists felt Yalu had the potential to flourish in our environment. We transferred Yalu to FieldHaven with the intention to give him lifetime sanctuary in the highly anticipated 2nd Chance Feral Ranch (coming soon).
Little did we know, Yalu wasn’t as feral as we initially thought. The walls he built up through fear began to come down as he started to have trust again. His sweet spirit and tenacity shine through at FieldHaven.
With a very carefully orchestrated plan to introduce Yalu to FieldHaven, we treated him like the emotional trauma survivor he is. We were astonished to find that after several days, Yalu began to show positive interaction with our staff.
The rest, as they say, is history. Less than two months after he left his horrendous life in Korea, Yalu is now social and playful. He responds to attention and loves every minute of kitty scratches and neck rubs. We can’t wait to watch this endearing kitty continue to flourish.
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