(According to the San Diego Humane Society, Archie was adopted by a couple on Monday.) Eight years ago, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) designated April as “Prevention of Cruelty to Animals” month. Despite working daily to end animal brutality, April is now publicly earmarked to celebrate the human-animal bond while raising awareness of the cruelty animals face on a global scale. The San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) continues to play their part, highlighting Archie, the last of the more than 100 dogs rescued from slaughter at a South Korean meat market farm. In 2016, the Humane Society International (HSI) transferred Mastiffs, Jindo’s, Siberian Husky mixes and Chihuahuas no older than 2, along with several sets of puppies, to San Francisco where they were picked up by SDHS and transported to San Diego for rehabilitation and rehoming. “The San Diego Humane Society’s involvement in rescuing the dogs from the cruelty of the Korean dog meat trade stands out as one of the most important missions we’ve ever tackled,” said Gary Weitzman, SDHS’s president and CEO. “We were determined to give these dogs and puppies new lives to be loved rather than be dinner.”
Emblematic of the “ultimate statement” of Weitzman’s commitment to helping vulnerable animals, “near and far,” the SDHS successfully re-homed every dog with the exception of Archie, a male Siberian-Husky mix. As with every rescued animal, SDHS trainers and caregivers have lavished Archie with love, care, and positive reinforcement training, received by him with “great progress.” A new home, preferably with adults or a family with older children, will require continued dedicated patience for the three-and-a-half-year-old dog described as cautious. Archie’s puppyhood was riddled with abuse. Dogs destined for slaughter never stepped outside of a cage, never interacted with people and were often the recipients of repeated malice, perpetuating the abuser’s theory that violence against the dogs flavored the meat. Fearful of people, every rescued dog was described as extremely docile. While some canines eagerly welcomed human affection, others like Archie, required more time to adjust to their new surroundings. Stephen MacKinnon, chief of Humane Law Enforcement for SDHS, fostered Archie for several months.
“Archie’s docility is based on the fear of not knowing what will happen next,” he said. “Archie will cower if he perceives a threat, especially from a male figure. We assume his abusers were male.”
According to Mackinnon, Archie was comfortable with Mrs. Chief and hyper alert around him. But with time, reassurance and Chief’s “constant pets,” Archie knew he was safe. “Over time, Archie knew I wouldn’t hurt him,” continued Mackinnon. “I’d pet him a lot. The reassurance was slow and methodical. Archie adjusted to our environment and understood our routine – sleep, wake-up, walks, breakfast, play time, nap, dinner and even treats. And he loved to relax in the sun. As with all of the rescues, Archie just needed to learn how to act like a dog.” Mackinnon noted that because the rescues were caged their entire lives, they were confused when introduced to grass for the “first time in their lives.” When placed in kennels with blankets, toys and bowls with fresh water, “items of care they never had before,” the dogs had no idea what they were and therefore had “no idea what to do with them.” “Learning to be dogs” was part of their rehabilitation process. “There’s a process between training a dog to be loved by humans as opposed to being feared by them,” continued Mackinnon. “Archie will never be the romping dog that most of us grew up with. He needs to be ready to be touched or he flinches because he doesn’t know what you’re trying to do. Archie needs a patient family willing to give him time to hang out on the perimeter and size things up before moving forward.”
Archie quickly bonded to Mackinnon’s other dogs. “We’ve fostered a number of dogs, so our dogs know that we have a mission to retrain dogs like Archie,” he said. “Archie bonded with our Jindo so much so that if we put our Jindo in a crate to sleep, Archie slept right next to him outside of the crate.”
Based on Archie’s docility, the SDHS doesn’t anticipate any issues if paired with felines. “Archie’s not a mean leader of the pack,” said Mackinnon. “We never saw meanness, even from the other South Korean rescues. The right family must understand that Archie’s early years were tough.”
The SDHS’s counselors, trainers and Mackinnon agree that Archie is a docile dog with no underlying meanness or fear so prevalent, he’ll become aggressive or bite. The white/cream colored, brown-eyed beauty loves to “happily romp with other dogs.” But he will need continued human socialization and leash training. According to Kelli Schry, SDHS’s communication manager, Archie’s challenges stem from prospective owners thinking that the bond between dog and family will be instant. “Archie needs a comfort level and a scheduled routine to establish space and ultimately trust,” she said. Shauna Romero, SDHS’s behavior and training supervisor suggests “patience and cream cheese” as the way to Archie’s heart.
The HSI continues to work in countries across Southeast Asia to end the horror of dogs used for food consumption by helping dog meat farmers “transition to more humane ways to make a living.” Archie’s former home is destined to become a blueberry farm. “South Korea’s younger generation finds the dog market meat trade outdated, inhumane and unacceptable, designating dogs as family pets rather than meat for consumption,” concluded Mackinnon. Want to help? – Archie can be visited at the San Diego Humane Society, 5500 Gaines St. – For more information, call 619-299-7012 or visit sdhumane.org.