Olympian Gus Kenworthy rescued his puppy from a horrible fate

One of America’s favorite skiing champions, Gus Kenworthy, famously rescued a Korean puppy from a dog meat farm during the February 2018 Winter Olympics. He originally revealed story behind his new pet, Beemo, a Jindo husky mix puppy, on Instagram.

“It breaks my heart to think she was being raised for slaughter,” Kenworthy said.

Beemo was one of over 80 dogs rescued from a dog farm near the South Korean capital, Seoul, by the Humane Society International and flown to safety in Canada. The skier said visiting the dog meat farm during the Olympics was “one of the most heart-wrenching things” he had ever done.

In Korea, eating dog meat dates back thousands of years and is fueled by a belief that dog meat aids virility. According to Humane Society, more than 2.5 million dogs are bred for human consumption on farms across South Korea. Younger Koreans are generally opposed to it and have increased pressure on the government to take action against it.

Unfortunately, Kenworthy’s dog Beemo died in May due to a heart defect, probably because of the poor conditions at the dog meat farm. After Beemo’s death, Kenworthy revealed on Instagram that he felt “completely empty.” But thankfully, their story doesn’t end there!

Kenworthy and his boyfriend went back and adopted a 5-month-old Jindo/Labrador mix from the same meat farm where they found Beemo. Kenworthy said he’ll post photos of his new pup, Birdie, on Beemo’s old Instagram account, which has over 135,000 followers.

“I was nervous that would seem disrespectful to Beemo’s memory but I actually LOVE the idea that both of my beautiful little girls will share the page. A huge part of the reason I started Beemo’s page in the first place was to continue promoting animal rescue and raise awareness for the dog meat trade … #DogsAreFriendsNotFood,” the skier revealed on Instagram.

To follow their adventures together, check out their Instagram page, @b_pups and check out the Humane Society’s website to find out ways to help end the dog meat trade.

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