Almost 150 dogs and puppies have been rescued from a dog meat farm in South Korea, after help was requested by the farmer.

The majority of South Koreans don’t routinely eat dog but the animal’s meat is considered a seasonal dish – with over one million dogs killed each summer for the Bok Nal festival, according to Humane Society International (HSI).

Most of the dogs have been flown to America, where they’ll eventually be re-homed.

The dogs will mostly be consumed in a soup as part of the festival, which takes place on the three hottest days between July and August according to the lunar calendar.

HSI rescued the dogs after being asked by a farmer in rural Yesan to help close his farm, and all but 15 puppies who are too young to fly have been flown to the US.

It’s the ninth dog meat farm HSI has closed since 2014 by working in collaboration with farmers who want to get out of the trade.

The charity says it will help the latest farmer, who wants to get into crop growing, with a business plan to move away from dog meat farming.

Nara Kim, HSI’s South Korea dog meat campaigner, said: “With every dog meat farm we close, we are not only saving the lives of these poor, terrified dogs caught up in this cruel trade, but we are also presenting a successful blueprint for change that we hope the government will follow. Eating dog is a dying practice in Korea, especially among young people.

“However, the Bok Nal days of summer still lead many to eat dog meat soup in the mistaken belief that it will invigorate the blood in the sluggish heat.

“Our campaign shows them the disgusting conditions in which the dogs are forced to live in their own faeces, and their pitiful suffering, and it is changing hearts and minds.”