Every year, a million dogs are brutally slaughtered in South Korea for meat while the government turns a blind eye.
Last Chance for Animals (LCA) has formed a sister organization in South Korea, Animal Liberation Wave (ALW) with one mission in mind – to end the dog meat trade. This change must come from Koreans to demand change at the government level. Rescuing dogs, one-at-a-time is not the answer and will not put an end to this horrific industry. Only at the government level can change be accomplished. Now, with “boots-on-the-ground” in Korea, LCA and ALW are in a position to affect real change.
With a series of strategic events planned, LCA and ALW aim to mobilize South Koreans in their own country to call for the end of the dog meat trade.
With 1 out of 5 Korean nationals living with dogs now (one fifth of a ten million population), people’s views are moving towards dogs as companions, family and friends. Dogs are legally categorized and protected as ‘companion animals’ under the Animal Protection Act; however, at the same time, millions of dogs are suffering from the dog meat trade that persists to this day.
Under the Sanitary Control of Livestock Products Act, dogs are not to be consumed as ‘food’. Regardless, the number of farms that systematically breed and raise dogs for meat reaches up to three thousand in this country. Upwards of one million dogs are killed each year and sold to markets and restaurants nationwide.
The cause of this legal contraction is the outdated Livestock Industry Act, which still recognizes dogs as ‘livestock’. Indeed, our canine friends are considered as both ‘companion’ and ‘livestock’ by the Korean law. Hence the current legal loophole –
Dogs:
1) are not labeled as “food” (Sanitary Control of Livestock Products Act)
2) must not be maltreated or slaughtered (Animal Protection Act) yet this goes on 365 days per year
3) are bred and raised in dog farms under horrific conditions (Livestock Industry Act)
As we welcome 2018, the first year of the golden dog in sixty years, we demand that the Korean government address this long-neglected issue – turning a blind eye to the barbaric dog meat trade.
Please sign the petition to the President of S. Korea, Moon Jae-In and the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Kim Young-roknd demanding an end to the dog meat trade!
1 Cheongwadae-ro, Jongno-gu
Seoul, Republic of Korea 03048
94, Dasom2-ro, Government Complex-Sejong
Sejong, Republic of Korea 339-012
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Sign the petition above asking S. Korea President Moon Jae and Minister of Ag Kim Young-Rok to put an end to dog meat
- Make a donation today to help LCA continue to fight animal cruelty
The negligence of the South Korean government is at the core of the problem
Conflicting Legal Status:
Are dogs companion
animals or food?
Dogs are companion animals under the Animal Protection Act
Article 1 (Purpose): To protect the life, safety and welfare of animals by stipulating the necessary conditions for proper protection and management of animals, thus preventing abuse. Article 1 further states its purpose is to cultivate respect for the lives of animals.
Article 32 (1) (Enforcement Rule) states, in addition to dogs and cats – rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, and hamsters are also protected under this Act as they are reared in homes for companionship.
The Sanitary Control of Livestock Products Act does not govern dogs as food
Article 2 (Definitions) does not include dogs under “livestock” as animals intended for consumption.
Yet, the Livestock Industry Act is still recognizing dogs as “livestock”
Article 2 Enforcement Rule (Kinds of Livestock): The term “animals prescribed by the Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Ordinance” in Article 2, Paragraph 1 of the Act shall mean any of the following: 1. mules, donkeys, rabbits and dogs.
It is through this legal loophole, of recognizing dogs as livestock, that dog meat is being produced and distributed.
Industrialized:
One and only, South
Korea’s dog meat farms
Industrialized:
One and only, South Korea’s dog meat farms
2,862
At least 2,862 dog farms
14.7
14.7% are factory farms
40.5
A million slaughtered for meat every year,
40.5% live in factory farms
One & Only, S. Korea’s Dog Farms
South Korea is the only country in the world where dogs are ‘farmed’ for human consumption. There are at least 2,862 dog farms nationwide that breed and raise dogs systematically for meat. Farms are becoming more and more industrialized in the absence of government control. About half (40.5%) of the dogs slaughtered each year are already being raised in the large-scale, factory-like farms that house more than 500 dogs.
Deadly Highways
Dogs are crushed into cages while being transported by trucks. Typically, 12-20 dogs are crammed into one jagged, wire cage and endure the unforgiving heat of summer and the frigid cold of winter during transport. Limbs are painfully broken when they are forced into crates and they endure deep lacerations from the serrated cage wires. Many die during the long journey from the weight of the other dogs on top of them.
Horrific Slaughterhouses
Dogs, not governed by the Sanitary Control of Livestock Products Act as food, are slaughtered anywhere, hidden from public view. The slaughter process is vicious. Dogs are electrocuted, hung and beaten with metal rods, and sometimes even boiled alive, all in front of the eyes of the other caged dogs. Since there is no law governing how dogs are slaughtered for food, none of the above acts are considered criminal and cannot be prosecuted by law.
Restaurants and Markets
Dogs are sold and consumed as soup or stew, known as Boshintang in restaurants and markets nationwide. Still to this day, restaurants and retails shops sell live dogs and slaughter them at their backdoor.
Abusive:
Dog farms are a
living hell
Abusive: Dog farms are living hell
Dog farms are a living hell – they will not make it out alive. Their entire lives are spent in small, rusty, broken cages.
Dogs live confined in filthy, metal cages 10-12 inches above the ground and are often wounded by falling through the jagged holes. The animals continuously inhale the rancid fumes of their feces on the ground. The cages are often too small and do not provide adequate protection from the extreme weather conditions. No medical care is ever given – they live with untreated wounds, infections and diseases from birth until death.
Odor of feces
Feces fall through the cages and compile on the ground, causing soil and water pollution. The rancid fumes, instead of fresh air, give constant stress to the dogs that have a highly developed sense of smell.
Eating Food Waste
Dogs are only given food waste their entire lives, which is more economical for farmers. Dogs often die feeling hunger, especially during winter, when food waste is not distributed regularly. Clean water is not provided as it is mixed in with the food waste. Dogs are often fed boiled up remains of other caged dogs, as witnessed by many activists and investigators.
Fear for the outside world
When the cages are opened, it is the end of life for the dogs, not liberation. Dogs witness and remember numerous other dogs being dragged out and slaughtered before their eyes, which results in an extreme fear of humans. When a person comes nearby, they respond by barking harshly or cowering at the back of cages, refusing to come out. Rescue operations are difficult as all the dogs know about humans is brutal violence and murder.
Public safety:
Environmental and
health risks
Environmental pollution
Disposal of feces and dead animals on dog farms are not handled and treated properly, which poses a threat to public safety and health. Rotting feces most often flow to nearby rivers or underground.
New virus attack
More than 70% of recent major infectious diseases are animal-induced. H3N2 Dog Influenza, which is transmitted easily through the air and direct contact, was first found and identified on a dog farm. Dogs on farms that haven’t been vaccinated are likely to become carriers for new types of viruses after eating food waste or carcasses of dead animals. *Oh, Jinsik (2008). Influenza and Dog. The Journal of Korean Veterinary Medical Association. 44(9) 835-841 Transmission of Avian Influenza Virus to Dogs
Heavy usage of antibiotics
Consuming livestock products high in antibiotics causes humans to become resistant to it, inhibiting effective treatment of diseases when needed. According to the World Health Organization, 1 out of 6 people die because of antibiotic resistance. Dog meat, which is not governed by the Sanitary Control of Livestock Products Act, has been discovered to contain antibiotics and germs, considerably higher than what is normally allowed.
THE FLOWER DOG PROJECT
Korean and global citizens are encouraged to sign the petition directed at the Korean government demanding an end to the dog meat trade.
The Flower Dog Locations
2/07/18 – Sejong Center, Gwanghwamun, Seoul
2/09/18 – National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, Seoul
2/13/18 – Hoenggye Circus, Medal Plaza, Pyeongchang Olympics
2/20/18 – Ogeori Culture Square, Jeonju
2/21/18 – Democracy Square, Gwangju May 18
2/23/18 – Haeundae Beach, Busan
2/26/18 – Daegu
2/28/18 – Blue House, Seoul
[FLOWER DOG PHOTOS GO HERE. DAVE NEEDS THE PHOTOS.]