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Olympian Maddie Mastro Saves Dog in South Korea

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“Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.” Taking the words of this popular quote from canine behaviorist and dog trainer Karen Davison to heart, snowboarder recently Maddie Mastro turned her Olympic experience in South Korea into a golden opportunity to aid in the rescue of a canine from the dog meat trade.


Mastro, who saw the disturbing sight of a dog meat farm during her stay in Pyeongchang, helped a Korean Jindo named Jado on her flight to a new life in the United States. Before heading home, the 2018 X Games bronze medalist (and proud pet parent to three rescue dogs!) informed her fans via Instagram:

“I got me a flight buddy! I’m flying home with this doggo so she can get a better chance at having a loving/caring family. I’m happy to have the opportunity to be a part of helping these dogs, even if it’s just one. I also encourage others to get involved to help have these doggos lives. Just look at that face, how can you say no! #savekoreandogs

A post shared by Maddie Mastro (@maddie_mastro) on

Due to the combined effort of Mastro, rescuers from Save Korean Dogs and The Barking Lot Rescue Jado is now safe in the care of the San Diego, California non-profit. Since its start in 2010 The Barking Lot has saved the lives of more than 5,000 dogs who were facing their fates in shelters, and from late 2016 the all-volunteer rescue has been offering a second chance to our four-legged friends who have been saved from the dog meat trade in Thailand through a partnership with Soi Dog Foundation.

Related page: Olympian Gus Kenworthy adopts dog from South Korea

Photo Credit: The Barking Lot; Maddie Mastro

This post originally appeared on DogTipper.com and is the sole property of DogTipper.com.