When The Only Way Is Essex star Pete Wicks boarded a plane bound for South Korea, the world thought it was just another influencer trip.
No one — not even his closest mates — knew the truth: he was flying toward one of the darkest corners of the planet, on a mission that would redefine his life forever.

✈️ Into the Heart of Darkness

Thousands of miles from the glamour of Essex and the chaos of reality TV, Pete found himself standing before rows of rusting cages in Namyangju.
Inside were trembling dogs — golden retrievers, beagles, jindos — their eyes dull but still clinging to hope.

“It was like walking through a graveyard of the living,” Pete said softly. “They were broken… yet when we reached out, their tails still wagged.”

The 28-year-old had joined Humane Society International (HSI) to help shut down Korea’s notorious dog-meat farms.
What he saw that day would haunt him — and heal him — in equal measure.

💔 The Rescue That Changed Everything

Pete couldn’t turn away.
With tears, grit, and determination, he helped lift one cage after another, whispering comfort to animals who’d only ever known fear.

When it was time to return to the UK, he didn’t come home alone.
Thirteen dogs — a golden retriever, a beagle, and several Korean jindos — traveled beside him, finally free.

“I love my dog Eric more than anything,” Pete said. “And I couldn’t imagine him spending even one day in a place like that.”

❤️ From Reality Star to Real-Life Hero

To millions of fans, Pete Wicks is the tattooed heart-throb of TOWIE — charming, confident, untouchable.
But the man who knelt among those cages was someone else: raw, vulnerable, and fiercely compassionate.

Wearing HSI’s green rescue vest, Pete shared photos from the site — him holding a tiny, terrified puppy in his tattooed arms.

“No camera can truly capture what I saw,” he wrote. “But together, we can end it.”

Within hours, his inbox flooded with messages of love.
Donations poured in. Fans called him “Britain’s real-life Dr Dolittle.”

🏡 Home Is Where the Bark Is

Back in London, Pete’s flat has changed.
Where once there was music and champagne, there are now squeaks, barks, and bowls lined against the wall.

He laughs when asked how he manages.

“You don’t measure space when it comes to saving lives,” he says.

Friends call his place a “mini sanctuary.” Pete just calls it home.

🌍 Beyond Borders, Beyond Fame

Since returning, Pete has continued working with animal rescue groups across Europe, helping rehome over 150 surviving dogs from that same farm.
Many now sleep on soft beds for the first time — their cries replaced by contented snores and wagging tails.

“After all they’ve been through,” he said, “they still trust us. That’s what forgiveness looks like.”

And maybe, in saving them, Pete found something too — a purpose far bigger than fame.

✨ From Pain to Purpose

Pete Wicks’ journey is more than a story about saving dogs — it’s about rediscovering what it means to care, to act, and to feel.
From the shadows of a slaughterhouse to the safety of a British living room, his mission turned horror into hope, and silence into song.

Some people rescue animals.
Others are rescued by them.
Pete Wicks just happens to be both. 🐾💖