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KARA’s Report-Full Version in Korean
KARA’s Report-Summary Version in Korean

Here are some information from the report:

Status of Dog Breeds Utilized in the Dog Meat Industry

Based on the S. Korea’s Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ statistical yearbook, in 2011, 1.7 million dogs were being raised in dog farms. Improved breeds-430K, Jindo dog-67K, mixed breeds-1.2million. However, all dog breeds are eaten in S. Korea. If you go to Moran Market in Seongnam (the largest dog meat market in the country), you will see all kinds of dogs being slaughtered and sold.

Dog Meat Restaurant Current Status

When an online directory was searched for dog meat restaurants in S. Korea, 4,019 places were retrieved. 10,791 so-called “Health Food Centers” were retrieved, with 223 specifically listing “dog elixir(dog boiled together with various herbs)” on their menu.

Distribution Process

Dog meat distribution is divided into farms, slaughter, wholesale, and retail. Small-scale farms are shrinking, but the large industrialized farms are growing, making up the majority of operations. Slaughter is sometimes handled at the farms and distributed, but most farms hand over the dogs to slaughterhouses after the raising. The cost of slaughtering one dog can range from $9-$26 USD, and some small-scale farms handle the slaughtering themselves to reduce costs. After the slaughter, dogs were handed over to the wholesale places. From there, dog meats are distributed to dog meat restaurants and so-called “Health Food Centers” nationwide. Sometimes, dogs are supplied from farms directly to dog meat restaurants and “Health Food Centers,” some restaurants raise the dogs themselves.

Transport Process

Dog slaughtering is usually done late at night to early in the morning when there are no public activities. Transport to the slaughterhouses usually happens during the hours with less traffic for the same reason. Still, occasionally, you will see them during the morning or afternoon hours with dogs tightly stuffed into cages without room to move…suffering.

According to the industry, the reason for stuffing the dogs into cages so tightly is to prevent them from fighting, which can cause injuries or even death during transport. These dogs can barely breathe and experience extreme physical and emotional stress. When they arrive at the slaughterhouses, they witness each other getting electrocuted and thrown into the boiling water, causing unimaginable terror and stress.

Dog Meat-Related Legal Action Plan

Currently, dog meat-related laws are largely divided into two jurisdictions: the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MFAFF) handles them through the point of slaughter, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MHW) handles them after the slaughter. The MFAFF judges dog meat illegal, while the MHW considers it legal.

Whenever there is a big international event, the government responds actively in order to avoid external criticism, and in recent years, China has also been actively responding in order to avoid diplomatic problems.

The dog meat industry consistently calls for its legalization, while animal protection groups call for its ban. Regarding this issue, the government consistently does not take any action. Internationally, China, Korea, and Vietnam are the countries that still have not banned dog meat consumption, and China is currently pushing forward a law to ban dog meat consumption.

However, only in Korea recently there was a movement from the government to legalize dog meat consumption.

The dog meat industry has formed a significant market as this situation continues.
The number of small operations that farm, slaughter, and distribute is shrinking, but we are seeing many large breeding farms, some of them even handling the slaughter and distribution, becoming more industrialized.

The government continues to agonize over banning and legalizing dog meat consumption. Still, if this situation drags on, the dog meat industry will likely develop into an even bigger industry.

1. Drafting Legislation for Dog Meat Ban

Pushing forward for the legislation to ban the slaughter of dogs for consumption and for dog meat sales to be included in the Animal Protection Act. This is the most effective solution for boosting the international image, promoting the right to life, and protecting animals. However, large-scale resistance from the proponents of dog meat consumption and the related industry to sustain their livelihood is forecasted.

2. Partial Revision of Current Related Laws and Regulations

1) Relating to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MFAFF)

The Livestock Industry Act, under the jurisdiction of MFAFF, classifies dogs as livestock, but its product is not acknowledged. The Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act, related to livestock slaughter and sanitation, excludes dogs. Due to the lack of laws regulating farming and slaughter, farming and slaughter-related problems are difficult to regulate with the current law.

In revising related laws, we can push for a bill to exclude dogs from the livestock classification in the Livestock Act.

Through this action, the livestock industry that raises dogs for consumption becomes illegal, and the debate about its product dog meat and dog meat legalization can be avoided.
Dog slaughter can be prohibited in the Animal Protection Act or added explicitly into the definition of animal abuse.

Adding the clauses to ban electrocution, which is currently being used widely, and to ban the usage of cardiac arrest and respiratory arrest drugs by the general public are other ways to go about this.

2) Relating to the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MHW)

Designating dog meat as a harmful food. In the case of pushing forward for the designation as a harmful food, we should refer to the sanitation inspection results that are conducted every summer by MHW, but MHW is extremely hesitant to disclose them to the public. In this case, we can forecast a big backlash from dog meat proponents, arguing that it is a stepping stone to the illegalization of dog meat consumption.

3. Regulate Using the Current Laws

Regulate using the current laws while pushing forward with plans 1 and 2 mentioned above.

1) Relating to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MFAFF)

Regulating using the penalty provision of the Animal Protection Act. Using dogs confirmed as an abandoned dog as meat is reportable through Article 8, paragraph 3. Hanging dogs by the neck is reportable through Article 8, paragraph 1.

2) Relating to Ministry of Environment (ME)

Breeding farms and dog farms should be regulated through livestock excrement management and utilization-related laws. Regulation is possible for farms that do not report on the livestock excrement discharge facilities and farms located in the livestock breeding prohibition zone. Water quality and ecosystem conservation laws can be applied to the spilling of wastes into public water resources from dog slaughter and dog meat-related businesses.

3) Relating to the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MHW)

All food, excluding drugs, is under the jurisdiction of the Food Sanitation Law. From the point of slaughter, MHW has jurisdiction, and it’s been quite controversial. Since 2008, MHW has been conducting sanitation inspections of dog meat restaurants every summer. This means dog meat is already recognized as food and is currently being regulated.

The collection and sale of dog meat are not subject to licensing. However, dog meat restaurants and health food centers (which make “dog elixir”) need to be licensed as food service establishments or health function food businesses. They can be regulated using the Food Sanitation Law, and enforcement is possible when operating without a license.

Although there are no standards specific to dog meat, because they operate under the license of a food service establishment, they can be punished based on the violation of standards for packaging containers or equipment in accordance with the applicable laws.

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