Dogs rescued from illegal dog meat trade arrive in Vancouver

Five of eight dogs rescued from the illegal meat trade in Asia arrived to meet their foster owners in Vancouver late Saturday night.

The animals were rescued by the Soi Dog Foundation, a Thailand-based non-profit organization that saves dogs traded for meat — a practice which is illegal in that country.

Metro Vancouver-based organization Leading Each Animal Safely Home, or LEASH, worked with Soi Dog to provide homes for the canines in B.C.

"We're just a stepping stone to their permanent home, but at least we can do our part to help them along in the process," said Andi Larabie and Deanna Desjarlais, who are working with LEASH to foster one of the dogs, named Churirat.

"I was almost in tears … they're gonna be loving dogs. They know they've been saved," said Sandi Cousins, who is taking home Woodpecker as a foster. 

"It's not a good environment, where they were."

The Soi Dog Foundation works with the Thai authorities to stop trucks carrying dogs for the meat trade at the country's borders, and also set up a hotline that people there can call if they spot these kinds of trucks.

LEASH also works with a variety of Canadian shelters, including Save a Dog Network Canada in Manitoba and the Northwest Territories SPCA.

They'll settle in … give them time to adjust so they can come out of their shells, and we'll properly assess them to make sure they're ready to be adopted," said Cassi Macdonald, a LEASH team member.

LEASH has said they will continue to work with Soi Dog, and may take in more dogs from them in the future.