Adorable puppy with wonky leg who escaped Chinese meat market transforms after rescue
An adorable disabled puppy who survived the Chinese meat trade is thriving after he was rescued and adopted by a US nonprofit.
Kronk was saved by animal rescuers last year from a dog meat slaughterhouse, and Run 2 the Rescue, a New York-based charity, took him in.
The Malamute was starved for most of his life and suffered a brain injury that caused mental and physical defects.
Kronk can’t walk like other dogs and has a deformed face due to the years of abuse he endured in the dog meat trade.
‘His existence is a miracle. His story is one of strength, and love,’ Run 2 the Rescue said of the pup.
Brandy Cherven, the co-founder of the organization, told People that she first saw Kronk in a video of 77 dogs saved from a research lab.
‘His head was sideways, and he was walking kind of crooked and dragging his back foot. And I kept rewinding and pausing the video,’ she told the outlet.
‘Other rescues might not have taken a chance on him. We like to say he’s different, and different is not bad. It’s just different,’ Chevren added.
The malamute was found disabled with neurological defects because of the abuse he endured
Kronk was rescued from the illegal dog meat trade in East Asia. Approximately 10 million dogs in China are killed each year for the trade. The Humane Society is pictured above rescuing dogs from the trade in July 2023 (file photo)
She told the outlet that when Kronk was taken to a veterinarian in China, they were told he likely had nine skull fractures due to the abuse he endured in the meat trade.
Kronk also had a skin condition, was about 40 pounds overweight, and wasn’t even healthy enough to fly to the US for several months.
When Chevren picked up Kronk at the airport, she fell in love and decided to adopt him herself.
The Malamute has since made miraculous progress and is now at a healthy weight.
Even though his neurological injuries have caused lifelong disabilities, Chevren said he was one of the happiest dogs.
Run 2 the Rescue nominated Kronk for the America’s Favorite Pet competition.
If they win the $10,000 prize, the funds will support the nonprofit’s mission to rescue more dogs from the meat trade.
The Humane World for Animals organization has estimated that around 30 million dogs and 10 million cats are slaughtered annually in the trade, with around 10 million dogs and 4 million cats killed in China.
Brandy Cherven, the co-founder Run 2 the Rescue, fell in love with Kronk and adopted him
Kronk is a survivor of the Chinese dog meat trade and was rescued by animal protection
Dogs are crammed in wire cages and often forced to go days without food, some dying before they even make it to the slaughterhouse. Dogs are pictured in a van at a slaughterhouse above in a photo from 2019 (file photo)
These animals are typically captured illegally through pet theft or the abduction of strays.
They are transported across borders without vaccinations and are often crammed into wire cages for days on end, with some even dying before they arrive at the slaughterhouse.
Animal protection groups work across Asia to save the animals, but some of the rescued dogs and cats still often go without forever homes.
Run 2 the Rescue workers with Chinese-based animal protection groups to bring surviving dogs to the US, receive medical care, and place them with families.