Two hundred dogs were rescued from a dog meat farm in South Korea – 14 of whom went to the Tampa Bay Humane Society in Tampa Bay, Fla. One of those 14 dogs was Harriet.

Before help came from the Humane Society International, Harriet was waiting for her turn to be “harvested” for her meat. She was one of the lucky ones. Not only did she make it out of that hellhole alive, but she is now being spoiled rotten.

What fosters were unprepared for when they welcomed these dogs into their home was that they don’t understand how to be a dog. Most in Korean meat farms have spent all of their lives stuffed in small, dirty and rusty wire cages until the fateful day when they are dragged to be slaughtered in the most inhumane and unimaginable manner.

When the dogs are saved, they must be taught the most basics of things, such as lying down when they sleep. Such was the case with Harriet. She video shows she is clearly exhausted and wants to sleep, but she literally doesn’t know how. One can only surmise that the only way she knew how to sleep when she was on the meat farm was by sitting up, since she was probably cramped in a wire cage, 24/7, like sardines in a can.

According to Mirror, there are “2.5 million dogs across 17,000 farms in the country.” Their destiny? Dinner plates. Also alarming is that

“South Korea is the only country in the world known to routinely and intensively farm dogs for human consumption….”

Although unfathomable to animal advocates, eating man’s best friend is part of the Korean culture. However, there may be a cultural shift taking place – a sort of “acculturation,” if you will. One dog meat farmer interviewed by Mirror said she gave up the dog farm after 20 years at the behest of her children, who have a pet Chihuahua at home. Harriet’s foster mom also states that dog meat farming “is decreasing; it’s on its way down.”

Still, there are millions of dogs – and cats, too – who are destined to be on someone’s dinner plate.  Thanks to Humane Society International, Harriet and 199 others the organization saved will not be and will have the opportunity to be a dog.

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Featured photo: Screenshot from YouTube