Photos By: Humane Society International
Animal activists from around the world are hopeful after South Korean President Moon Jae-in suggested that it might be time for the country to ban dog meat during a briefing on Monday.
Moon first issued a Blue House pledge in 2018 to consider removing dogs from the legal definition of livestock following a petition with one million signatures submitted by Humane Society International (HSI)/ Korea and partners KARA.
A recent opinion poll commissioned by HSI/Korea and conducted by Nielsen shows growing support for a ban on the dog meat trade, with nearly 84% of South Koreans saying they don’t or won’t eat dogs, and almost 60% supporting a legislative ban on the trade.
“It’s early days, but Moon’s reported suggestion that it’s time to end dog meat in South Korea is very welcome indeed,” Humane Society International/Korea’s dog meat campaigner Nara Kim, told WAN. “Anyone who has been to a dog meat farm and seen the deprivation and suffering, would be in no doubt that this industry has no place in a modern progressive compassionate society.”
“When HSI started working in Korea seven years ago, it seemed so out of reach for the President to make such an acknowledgement. It’s a testament to how far we have come and how much societal attitudes have changed. Ending the dog meat industry has now become an issue that politicians are willing to speak out on,” continued Kim. “It feels like we are on the cusp of change to at last end the suffering for these dogs.”
Shockingly, it is estimated that one to two million dogs are kept on thousands of dog meat farms across South Korea.
HSI in South Korea works in partnership with dog meat farmers to permanently close down dog meat farms. So far, they have closed down 17 dog meat farms and rescued more than 2,000 dogs who have been adopted out to loving homes in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada with the help of placement partners.
In recent years, there has been a series of crackdowns by authorities to curb the dog meat industry, including shutting down Taepyeong dog slaughterhouse by the Seongnam City Council in November of 2018. This was followed by the closure of Gupo dog meat market in Busan in July of 2019, and a declaration in October of 2019 by the mayor of Seoul that the capital city is “dog slaughter free.”
You can help call for an end to the cruel dog and cat meat trade throughout Asia by signing Humane Society International’s petition HERE!
