A dog who spent the first year of his life in a cage on a meat farm in South Korea has found a forever family in the UK.
Charlie Brown was among dozens of innocent dogs being kept in "filthy and deprived conditions" in Namyangju, with no access to water, exercise or bedding.
If it weren't for Humane Society International (HSI), Charlie Brown would have been "killed by electrocution or slaughterhouse and made into dog soup", the charity explains.
Caroline Day, 51, from North London, adopted Charlie Brown from All Dogs Matter, an animal charity that works with HSI to find homes for rescue dogs in the UK.
Caroline told The Mirror: "It seems beyond barbaric that this bright, loving, beautiful animal was caged in such inhumane conditions and would, if he hadn’t been rescued, have been brutally killed for food."
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When Charlie Brown first arrived in the UK, he suffered with painful paws from endless days of standing and sitting on thin wire mesh.
Caroline explained: "The pads on his paws had no shape or colour because he hadn't really walked on them, and he had no muscle mass in his back legs and very bad spatial awareness.
"If he jumped onto a sofa, he'd often fall off."
Charlie Brown soon settled in with the family and found a best friend in 14-year-old rescue dog, Snoopy.
Caroline said: "Charlie Brown loves his life now. He's a family dog through and through. He's a soft, soppy, friendly boy who adores attention and cuddles.
"Walkies are his favourite part of the day - he runs all round the woods, checking out every smell, but still comes back (eventually) when we whistle for him and he absolutely flies over branches and tree trunks on the ground.
"And at the end of the day, he’s so proud to curl up in his own basket."
Despite being with the family for four years, Charlie Brown is still "scared to go into the bathroom" because the extractor fan reminds him of the meat farm.
Caroline said: "The fact that he still flinches if we take out a broom to brush the floor, suggests he wasn’t treated with much kindness in his past life.
"When Charlie Brown nestles beside me, feeling safe, putting all his trust in a human being, it is unbearable to think about other dogs just like him who have not been lucky enough to escape."
Caroline is the author of Sunday Times bestseller Hope Nicely’s Lessons for Life, which she wrote with Charlie Brown on her lap.
Do you have a dog story to tell? Contact nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
