Tiny Ruby stole his heart

Humane Society International


We found Ruby in a barren cage on a dog meat farm in South Korea. When HSI’s Adam Parascandola first saw her, he feared she wouldn’t survive. But with a little time and a whole lot of love (especially from Adam, who has now adopted her), Ruby was able to shed her fear — and her terrible past.

Here, in Adam’s words, is their story:

After our first visit to the farm for vaccinations, etc., we had real concerns about Ruby and her ability to survive in that environment. I pulled her off the farm and boarded her at a vet clinic because she was weak and anemic. She lived in absolute squalor and was completely filthy. She seemed to be having trouble even walking normally.

Because she weighed only about four pounds, I worried about how she would do on the flight to the United States with the other dogs and determined it would be safest to fly her back with me. I contacted a rescue on the east coast of the U.S. and they agreed to take her.

When I picked Ruby up from the vet clinic, she was clean (having had two baths), but still completely shut down. She did not seem able to take in anything that was going on and preferred to hide in her bag. Still, when I would take her out, she would cling to me. On the flight, we had the last row of seats to ourselves and I set her bag on the seat next to me. She was completely quiet, but when I would unzip the bag and put my hand in it, she would lay her face across my fingers. She ate my entire dinner roll!

Finally when I reached home, she was at first too terrified to even come out of her bag. It was like she had never seen such a large space as a room and did not know what to do. Since we had flown all night and were exhausted, I went to take a nap. I let her into the bed with me and she immediately crawled up next to me. From that point on, she wanted to go wherever I went and overcame any fears she had to be near me. She didn’t miss a beat learning the steps to the bed and couch. She quickly learned how much fun toys are and has been non-stop ever since.

She is extremely curious and very playful. She is always into everything and a laugh a minute. She is so lively and such a good-natured, happy little dog. I am impressed with how quickly she has overcome her terrible start to life. It gives me hope for all these dogs. Though exposed to such cruelty, they can truly shine when given love. Please support our campaign against the dog meat trade.

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