He saved 90 dogs destined to end up on the plate. Gus Kenworthy, a 26-year-old American freestyle skier, participated in the 2018 Winter Olympics. During the Olympics in South Korea, however, he did not only deal with sports but also ended up at the center of attention for his noble gesture
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
He saved 90 dogs destined to end up on the plate. Gus Kenworthy, a 26-year-old American freestyle skier, participated in the 2018 Winter Olympics. During the Olympics in South Korea, however, he did not only deal with sports but also ended up at the center of attention for a noble gesture by him.
In 2014, during the Sochi Winter Olympics, Gus found two stray puppies, Jake and Misshka, near the Olympic Village and after a series of adventures he managed to take them with him to America and adopt them. But that was only the first step.
Also this year on the occasion of the Olympics which took place in February in South Korea, the skier, although he did not return home with a medal, brought with him something even more precious. A dog rescued from a farm, where animals were raised only to feed the meat trade.
"Matt and I took a heartbreaking visit to one of South Korea's 17000 dog farms this morning," Kenworthy explained on Instagram, along with a photo of boyfriend and actor Matt Wilkas and their new four-legged friend. Beemo. “Across the country, there are 2,5 million dogs raised for food under far more disturbing conditions than we can imagine. The way these animals are treated is completely inhumane and the culture should never be a scapegoat for cruelty. Despite the beliefs of some, these dogs are no different from what we call pets elsewhere. "
Gallery
Matt and Gus adopted Beemo by taking him to the United States with them, but the puppy wasn't the only one lucky. Thanks to the intervention of the young skier, 90 other dogs from the kennel were rescued and taken to the United States and Canada for adoption with the help of Humane Society International.
New Olympics. Same me.
Posted by Gus Kenworthy (@guskenworthy) on Feb 23, 2018 at 4:36 PM PST
This morning Matt and I had a heart-wrenching visit to one of the 17,000 dog farms here in South Korea. Across the country there are 2.5 million dogs being raised for food in some of the most disturbing conditions imaginable. Yes, there is an argument to be made that eating dogs is a part of Korean culture. And, while don’t personally agree with it, I do agree that it’s not my place to impose western ideals on the people here. The way these animals are being treated, however, is completely inhumane and culture should never be a scapegoat for cruelty. I was told that the dogs on this particular farm were kept in “good conditions” by comparison to other farms. The dogs here are malnourished and physically abused, crammed into tiny wire-floored pens, and exposed to the freezing winter elements and scorching summer conditions. When it comes time to put one down it is done so in front of the other dogs by means of electrocution sometimes taking up to 20 agonizing minutes. Despite the beliefs of some, these dogs are no different from the ones we call pets back home. Some of them were even pets at one time and were stolen or found and sold into the dog meat trade. Luckily, this particular farm (thanks to the hard work of the Humane Society International and the cooperation of a farmer who’s seen the error of his ways) is being permanently shut down and all 90 of the dogs here will be brought to the US and Canada where they’ll find their fur-ever homes. I adopted the sweet baby in the first pic (we named her Beemo) and she’ll be coming to the US to live with me as soon as she’s through with her vaccinations in a short couple of weeks. I cannot wait to give her the best life possible! There are still millions of dogs here in need of help though (like the Great Pyrenees in the 2nd pic who was truly the sweetest dog ever). I’m hoping to use this visit as an opportunity to raise awareness to the inhumanity of the dog meat trade and the plight of dogs everywhere, including back home in the US where millions of dogs are in need of loving homes! Go to @hsiglobal’s page to see how you can help. #dogsarefriendsnotfood #adoptdontshop ❤️?
Posted by Gus Kenworthy (@guskenworthy) on Feb 23, 2018 at 8:10 PM PST
READ also:
- Save a dog and together they travel the world to help other animals
- Rex, the hero dog who saves a sixteen year old from thieves
- The 'kiss' between a diver and the fish: the story of a friendship that has lasted for 25 years (VIDEO)
Despite the nice gesture, there was no lack of controversy. The photos of her, posted on Instagram, were highly regarded but others criticized her campaign to save dogs, considering it one-sided compared to the many other animals slaughtered and eaten in Western countries. What is certain is that the skier helped save a large number of dogs from Korea from certain death.
Francesca Mancuso
cover photo
