Heartwarming photos show 171 dogs getting rescued from a South Korean meat farm

It's a happy ending for the 171 dogs who were rescued this month and narrowly escaped death, thanks to efforts made by the Humane Society International.

The puppies and dogs were rescued from a farm in Wonju, South Korea, where they had been raised and caged with the intention of being sold for human consumption.

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The owner of the farm, Gong In-Young, contacted HSI himself as a way to get out of the industry. "It's a dying business," he said, as he watched the dogs get removed from the facility he had been running for almost a decade.

HSI gladly agreed to help him close the farm's doors once and for all, and arrived on the scene to help clear out the rows and rows of K-9s.

More photos from the heartwarming rescue:

According to Newsy, "Most South Koreans don't eat dog meat regularly, but it is consumed more during the annual Bok Nal festival and throughout the hot summer months because many believe it cools their blood."

After being rescued, the majority of the pups will head to the United States, where they will be placed in temporary emergency shelters.

Check out HSI's website, where you can donate to help them put an end to more of the thousands of remaining dog farms across Asia.