NAPLES, Fla. -- It's a story that's hard to believe and may be hard to watch. Dogs of every breed are being slaughtered and sold for their meat.
Video shot in South Korea showing the dogs in cages at a meat market was sent to the Golden Retriever Rescue of Southwest Florida.
It may seem disturbing, but in Asian countries eating dog meat is as common as people here eating a hamburger. However, some South Koreans want to end this age old tradition and that has the rescue group stepping in to help.
Kathy Guyitt works with the group. "What I don't understand is why they have to be tortured before they're used as a food source."
Undercover video shows dogs crammed into cages, and they're all menu items waiting to be sold for their meat at markets throughout South Korea.
The group’s board member, Mark Dahlberg, tells us, "It still exists in many countries; not just South Korea, but many countries throughout the world, where dog meat is considered part of the daily diet. Restaurant owners can pick out and select menu items that will become part of the evening’s dinner menu."
Canine cuisine is openly sold at farmer's markets, and what they do to these dogs to improve the taste of their meat may turn your stomach.
Guyitt explains how the dogs "are tortured in various ways because it promotes adrenaline, which promotes tender meat."
Some South Koreans now fighting to help these dogs escape, working with the Golden Retriever rescue group.
Dahlberg successfully saved 18 dogs in the past year and a half. "The only options for them was to be either rescued or euthanized, and the third option was to be sold to a meat farm."
Volunteers shot a photo at a meat farm showing dead dogs purchased by a man on his bike.
Two Golden Retrievers we saw in Bonita Springs are lucky dogs after they were adopted by group members. Two year old 'Sully’ is a happy dog now, but a photo shows him locked in a small cage last year as he was essentially on doggie death row in South Korea.
Dahlberg says even more dogs will be slaughtered soon. "Coming up here shortly is an occasion called Summer Solstice, it's an annual event and the main menu item at Summer Solstice is dog meat."
The rescue group will be driving to Tampa International Airport to pick up their 19th Golden Retriever rescue on Saturday morning.
