Nearly 70 dogs have been saved from a dog meat farm – with actor Daniel Henney part of the rescue team.
Animals were found living in grim conditions, with newborn puppies, pregnant mothers, and sick, skeletal dogs locked in filthy metal cages.
Many of them were found malnourished or had deformed bones from untreated rickets caused by poor diets.
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Some of the pups were even served in a restaurant next door.
But their luck changed when a local farmer, alongside Humane World for Animals, swooped in with the help of Daniel, 45, star of The Wheel of Time and Criminal Minds, who has long campaigned to end the dog meat industry.
The actor rolled up his sleeves and got emotional as he freed terrified pups from their cages for the very first time.
The incident took place at Cheongju farm in South Korea and comes ahead of the country’s nationwide phase-out of the dog meat trade.
Of the 67 dogs, 50 have already been flown to the US, arriving safely at the charity’s rehabilitation centre in Maryland where they’ll get medical care before being placed into loving homes.
The remaining 17 – a mix of moms and puppies – are staying at a local shelter until they’re old enough to fly.
“As a huge dog lover, and dad to a dog meat farm survivor, it was incredibly challenging to see the suffering of these dogs who have endured so much,” Daniel told Need To Know.
“It makes me all the prouder to have supported Humane World for Animals’ successful campaign to achieve a ban because it means no more dogs like these will suffer like this again.
“South Korea is embracing a new chapter where dogs are our friends not food, and that couldn’t make me more thrilled.
“I’m looking forward to following the journey of these dogs as they find their forever homes in the United States and put the dog meat industry behind them.”
But Daniel is not new to the cause.
Back in 2020, he adopted a golden retriever rescue named Juliette.
In 2017, he fronted a subway campaign in Seoul spotlighting the issue.
Cheongju farm, was shut down by local authorities in February 2025, was operating illegally and violating the Animal Protection Act by slaughtering animals on-site.
With the farmer now switching to chilli farming, the charity stepped in to handle the emergency rescue.
South Korea’s nationwide ban on dog meat will come into force in February 2027 and an estimated 1,500 dog meat farms are expected to shut down in the coming months.
Around 40% have already closed and the government is supporting farmers to transition into other businesses.
Sangkyung Lee, Humane World for Animals Korea’s campaign manager, said the rescue felt different this time.
He said: “In all the years our charity has been rescuing dogs from these dog meat farms, this is the first time we have done so knowing that a ban is finally consigning this terrible suffering to the history books.
“That’s an amazing feeling. While the law is successfully dismantling the dog meat industry, we are happy to be able to provide a bright future for the dogs on this farm.
“For them the dog meat industry is over, and they have nothing but soft beds, full bellies and lots of love ahead of them.”
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