When Willow was eleven years old, his guardians decided they no longer wanted the aging poodle and sold him to a South Korean dog meat farm for $20.
Willow was gaunt and covered in filthy, matted fur. His teeth were rotting out of his mouth. There were also cuts on his ears and his tongue was infected.
He was discovered at the farm by rescuer Nami Kim of Save Korean Dogs, who knew Willow was a perfect fit for her friend Heather Heath, an animal advocate who lives in Las Vegas.
Heath, who has years of experience campaigning against the dog meat industry and is admittedly a “sucker for senior dogs,” eagerly agreed to take Willow into her care.
Willow and Heath took to one another immediately. He quickly became comfortable in his new home, and his family fell in love with his upbeat personality.
The pup is now an ambassador against the dog meat trade and travels with Heath to help raise awareness.
Many people shy away from learning about the dog meat trade because it’s inherently gruesome.
Heath explained how Willow makes it easier for people to learn about this upsetting but important issue: “My idea was, let’s take Willow, this really cute dog who survived the trade and have him help educate people in a gentle way.”
“So many times I’ll stand there with tears rolling down my face seeing kids pet him and having their parents listen in on what we have to say. It reminds you that it’s not a hopeless cause.”
Willow has gained a widespread social media following and is the face of a campaign called “I Am Willow I Am Not Food,” which raises money to fly dogs rescued abroad to forever homes in the US.
It’s hard to imagine why someone would want to kill and eat a lovable dog like Willow, but some 30 million dogs are slaughtered and consumed every year throughout Asia. Willow’s journey reminds us of the importance of defeating the dog meat trade.
Lady Freethinker is working aggressively to put an end to the horrific dog meat trade and save the lives of millions of animals subjected to this cruelty.
This practice of killing and consuming domesticated animals is so repulsive. Humans are the ones destroying this planet, and the innocent animals (the ones we are here to protect) are the victims. That sickens me. And it further sickens me that there a majority of humans do not care.
Beautiful — THANK YOU —- THANK YOU for being there for these sweet, innocent, vulnerable animals, who have every RIGHT to live.
So great 🙂
hey here’s an idea… lets import thousands of useless asians, slaughter them and feed them to our wildlife… throw a few slow running asians out in the wild and ranchers live stock would be safe from predators…
Excellent ideas ❗️
Wonderful Willow has a new home ! Save all the dogs please, and find good homes for all of them.
Thank you Kim for saving Willow, the poodle. I am happy Willow is doing all right, and has a forever lovely new home. Hope all the other dogs , cats and other animals get saved. Ban the horrible dog and cat meat trade ! And ban , also, all the other horrible animal meat trade. The cruelty and killing on animals is horrible, and very sad.
Hi Lady Freethinker! Thanks for running my story! I am the American Humane’s 2018 Emerging Hero Dog too! Soon my website will be up and running at http://www.willows-wish.org and all of our projects for the future will be posted with updates. Likewise our non-profit should get its 501c3 status soon. Our next trip to Korea is in July with the hopes to sponsor 20 of my friends out of there during Boknal. Please feel free to follow me on Facebook @DMTSurvivor or on Instagram at I_Am_Willow_DMT_Survivor. We have tons of researched facts for awareness and education to help you learn what you can do to make a difference and how to use your voice for the voiceless!
The abominable dog meat trade must end. And Lady Freethinker is playing a great part in bringing this to fruition. Let us keep signing and keep supporting.
Will this eating of cats & dogs ever be stopped it seems like years that other nations are asking Asian countries to stop this hideous “practice” but it seems 2b they just don’t want to very sad.
Take care
I am a longtime follower of Willow, Heather and Ruby…they are a wonderful family!!
Stop killing dogs end cats
Thank you; cruelty needs to STOP!
BOYCOTT this barbaric country. Go vegan.
Dogs are not the only ones who don’t deserve to be eat by humans.
Cows, pigs, chickens et al also don’t deserve the massive cruelties they endure just so people can eat them.
FIRST OFF HOW THE F COULD A FAMILY GIVE UP THE FAMILY DOG TO BE KILLED AND EATEN. YOU ARE DISGUSTING P.O.S. HOW ANYONE CAN EAT A DIG MAKES ME SICK TO MY STOMACH. AS FOR THE MAN WHO HAS TAKEN THIS SWEET INNOCENT FURBABY….YOU ARE AN ABSOLUTE TRUE INSPIRATION. GOD BLESS YOU!!!THIS SWEET PUP IS VERY BLESSED.
THANK YOU to the wonderful Rescuers — GO VEGAN! — GO VEGAN! — SHUT DOWN the unconscionably depraved DOG/CAT MEAT INDUSTRY in ASIA.
Go willow !! I’m happy u were rescued !! 😄😄
What kind of person would sell his dog to the meat farm? That’s heartless!
Thanku Heather and Nami for all your work. 🐩🐾
God bless you all! 🙏
All dogs are a perfect fit for someone. BOYCOTT South Korea. Do not travel to or through it, and do not buy its exports, including cars. MONEY TALKS and an ECONOMIC BOYCOTT is the only hope the dogs, cats and other tortured and murdered nonhuman animals have. Impact South Korea’s bottom line adversely and South Korea’s polititions and industries and its employees will pay attention. ECONOMIC STARVATION will work, maybe. It is the only thing that stands even a chance of getting these barbarians’ attention.
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