Actress Chantalle Ng is fostering a dog rescued from a South Korean dog meat factory

SINGAPORE – Home-grown actress Chantalle Ng is fostering a dog named Jeong, who was rescued from a South Korean dog meat factory just before he was about to be slaughtered.

The animal lover wrote on social media on April 15: “He’s currently staying with me, and truly has the sweetest temperament. A little nervous in a new environment, but so gentle and kind.”

The 30-year-old star said Jeong gets excited around her pet dog, cats and chickens.

“He’s grass-trained, so regular walks will suit him well,” she added. “If you’re serious about adopting, please send me a message. If the right home doesn’t come along… I might just keep him myself.”

Ng told local Chinese-language newspaper Shin Min Daily News in a report published on April 29 that her flight attendant friend found Jeong in South Korea and rescued it, bringing it back to Singapore and handling all the paperwork.

“My mum told me that whenever I leave the house, he will hide in a corner until I come back,” Ng said, referring to her mother, retired actress Lin Meijiao. “It broke my heart a little, and I hope I can help find him a loving home.”

Ng is usually busy filming and does not have much time to spend with her pets.

At the Star Awards on April 19, she won Most Hated Villain for her role as the vindictive Zhang Anna in Mediacorp’s blockbuster drama Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya Story (2025) and Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes.

“My mum has more free time, and she loves animals too,” she said. “With the help of our helper, she takes meticulous care of all the animals at home.”

Ng said her two cats were adopted. One of them, a senior cat, was found near the filming location of her 2025 drama The Gift Of Time.

“I thought it might have been sick, so I brought it home and took it to the vet,” she recalled. “Luckily, it wasn’t cancer; it just had kidney failure and other issues due to its age, requiring daily medication and injections.”

Ng said her childhood ambition was to become a veterinarian, but gave up on the idea later as studying veterinary medicine requires five years of studying overseas and she did not want to be separated from Lin, 62, for such a long time.

Now that she has pursued an acting career, Ng said her job gives her a platform to encourage people to adopt animals.

“If I had actually become a vet, seeing those animals in distress would have broken my heart,” she said. “Perhaps being an actress is the best arrangement.”