Blog

Campaign updated on 9/1/2022.

San Antonio, Texas: Tell your Sister City, Gwangju, South Korea, that you oppose the torture and consumption of dogs and cats.

If you want to help fight the grisly South Korean dog and cat meat trade and make a difference in South Korea, here are a few quick actions you can take that could save millions of dogs and cats each year.

Gwangju became a Sister City to San Antonio, Texas, in 1981.

In Gwangju, there are numerous dog farms, slaughterhouses, markets, and restaurants where the dogs, who have been tortured their entire lives, end up being slaughtered in the most inhumane ways, such as by electrocution, hanging, or beating; and then thrown into boiling water – sometimes while they are still alive. In many places, dogs are being killed in full view of other terrified, caged dogs; and this takes place in broad daylight. In addition, many abandoned and stolen former pets end up in this industry and are subject to the same cruelty.

Video: Imprisoning dogs in raised wire cages in South Korea’s dog meat farms is extreme cruelty!

A Search Engine reveals the sickening scale of Gwangju’s dog meat demand.

Two searches on Naver (the most popular search engine in Korea) – one was for so-called “Health Centers,” which commonly sell dog elixirs and cat elixirs (also known as dog soju and cat soju), and the second one was for “dog meat restaurants” – resulted in dozens of Health Centers and dog meat restaurants in the vicinity of Gwangju.

Even if half of these ‘Health’ Centers and restaurants serve dog and cat ‘ingredients’ in one form or another, imagine how many dog/cat slaughterhouses must be present in Gwangju to supply these outlets.

There are laws in South Korea against selling dogs and cats for consumption, yet these laws are blatantly ignored.

Call for Action

• 📧 Send emails to the San Antonio Mayor and the City Council members.

  [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];

  Send the CC (Carbon Copy) email to the Gwangju Metropolitan Council, and the South Korean National Assembly members:

  [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
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• 📧 Click HERE to send online messages to the San Antonio Mayor and the City Council members.
• 📬 Send letters (Use the below-suggested message or petition):

  Mayor Ron Nirenberg and the City Council members
  100 Military Plaza
  San Antonio, TX 78205
  USA

  📬 Send a copy of your letter to Gwangju:

  Mayor Kang Gi-jung
  City of Gwangju
  111, Naebang-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju
  Postal Code 61945
  South Korea

  Gwangju Metropolitan Council
  111, Naebang-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju
  Postal Code 61945
  South Korea

  📬 Gwangju’s addresses in Korean:

  강기정 광주시장님
  광주 시청
  [61945] 광주광역시 서구 내방로 111
  South Korea

  광주광역시의회
  [61945] 광주광역시 서구 내방로 111
  South Korea

📝 Suggested message

San Antonio, Texas: Tell your Sister City, Gwangju, South Korea, that you oppose the torture and consumption of dogs and cats.

Dear Mayor Ron Nirenberg and the San Antonio City Council members:

We ask you to please watch the videos from South Korea’s dog meat industry:
Shocking cruelty of South Korea’s dog meat industry, Part 1 of 2: https://youtu.be/_ZVQjgGb4RQ
Part 2 of 2: https://vimeo.com/754160791
Forest fire in Uljin burns dogs imprisoned in dog meat farms: https://youtu.be/mh1lEGt2gjU
https://youtu.be/GLLeI_XFNPg
Imprisoning dogs in raised wire cages in South Korea’s dog meat farms is extreme cruelty: https://youtu.be/D9Hw4u1XKo4.

Do you think San Antonio should be a Sister City to any city that allows dogs and cats to be tortured and eaten by people?

Gwangju is one of the largest dog meat consumption cities in South Korea. There are numerous dog meat farms, slaughterhouses, markets, shops, dog meat restaurants, and so-called “Health Centers” serving soup made of dog meat as an elixir. Dogs suffer their entire lives in utter misery in filthy, feces-encrusted raised wire cages, only to be slaughtered in the most horrific ways. They are killed by electrocution, hammer strikes to their head and necks, being hung, beaten to death, having their throats slit, being burned alive with a blowtorch, or being thrown into a vat of boiling water while still alive. In many places, dogs are killed in full view of other terrified, caged dogs who tremble with terror. These poor dogs are often burned alive in their cages, unable to escape. They are fed rotten garbage full of chili peppers not fit for any animals to eat, and they are never given water! Also, people’s beloved pets are often stolen and sold to these businesses, where they meet the same horrific fate. Dogs and puppies who died of diseases are tossed away like garbage, often left in front of cages to rot while the mother dogs watch and cry out in despair for their dead babies.

The Korean internet searches resulted in dozens of Health Centers which commonly sell dog/cat elixirs (also known as dog soju and cat soju) and dog meat restaurants in Gwangju.

Would you please urge Gwangju Mayor Kang Gi-jung to close down all illegal dog farms, slaughterhouses, markets, truckers, and restaurants serving their products? An online petition calling for your support in ending Gwangju’s horrendous dog and cat meat cruelty is in progress: https://chng.it/BsYZv2qF.

On behalf of all the animals suffering unimaginable cruelty in the dog and cat meat industry, we thank you and await your reply.

Sincerely,

Name, City, Country

• ☎️ Call the San Antonio Mayor’s office:

  210-207-7107

Suggested phone message

Hello, I’m calling to speak to someone in the Mayor’s Office to ask for their help on an important issue regarding your Sister City, Gwangju, in South Korea.

If I could explain: Dog-meat consumption is currently being practiced in that city, even though it is illegal under South Korean Law – but the laws are not enforced. The dog and cat meat trades involve extreme and widespread animal cruelty, and the animals suffer unimaginable pain and distress. They cannot speak for themselves, so I am calling on their behalf. And, I believe that your city would wish to be made aware of this issue, as you would not want to affiliate with a city where illegal and immoral torture is being carried out on any animal, and particularly not on ones that are loyal, trusting creatures, which look up to us humans as their guardians.

This illegal industry is being allowed to continue by Gwangju authorities – even though there is growing opposition from pet guardians across South Korea and worldwide.

So, I am asking you to please speak with your counterparts in Gwangju to urge them to enforce their laws, not ignore them, show compassion to their companion animals, and respect their citizens by bringing this cruel industry to an end.

I know that South Korea has many beautiful, admirable, and noble practices and customs worth preserving, but this is not one of them.

Thank you for your time and understanding.

• Send a Twitter message!
  .@dodreamgwangju .@gijungkang #SanAntonio #Texas Tell Sister City #Gwangju #SouthKorea you oppose torture/consumption of #dogs #cats 🐾 https://youtu.be/_ZVQjgGb4RQ 😢 https://vimeo.com/754160791 😭 https://chng.it/BsYZv2qF 😿 https://koreandogs.org/sister-city-Gwangju-San-Antonio/

No matter where you live, PLEASE SHARE these actions with your friends, especially those who live in San Antonio! 🙏