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[Update: March 27, 2017] Campaign closed.

Our French language volunteer had called the city of Sanary-Sur-Mer regarding their Sister City relationship with Hongcheon-gun, Korea, and was told that there was not a Sister City relationship with them. It is possible that the staff were not aware of the Sister City agreement which was signed in 1991. It is also not uncommon for the Sister/Friendship City agreement to become inactive from lack of interaction.

For now, we will close this campaign. We were able to inform Sanary-Sur-Mer of Hongcheon-gun and Korea’s dog meat cruelty.
We are grateful to all of our supporters who have taken action.

Mayor Ferdinand Bernhard of Sanary-sur-mer: Tell Sister City, Hongcheon-gun, South Korea, That We’re Opposed to 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.

Hongcheon-gun in Gangwon-do province became Sister city with Sanary-sur-mer in 1991.
In Hongcheon-gun, there are countless 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 public and in broad daylight. In addition, many abandoned and stolen former pets end up in this industry and are subject to the same cruelty.

A Search Engine reveals the sickening scale of Hongcheon-gun’s dog meat demand.

Shown below are two search results on Naver (the most popular search engine in Korea) – the first 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.”

The searches resulted in dozens of 167 Health Food Shops and 71 restaurants in the vicinity of Hongcheon-gun.

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 in the vicinity of Hongcheon-gun to supply these outlets.

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

https://koreandogs.org/meat-dogs-in-wire-cages-feed-on-rotten-food-waste-slops/

Call for Action

• Send Email:
  [email protected]
• Send letter (Use the below-suggested message or petition):SANARY-SUR-MER
  Monsieur Ferdinand BERNHARD est maire de Sanary-sur-Mer
  1, place de la République
  CS 70001
  83112 Sanary-sur-Mer Cedex
  France

  Send a copy of your letter to Hongcheon-gun Mayor Noh Seung-Rak:
  Mayor Noh Seung-Rak
  Hongcheon-gun Government
  93 Seokhwa-ro, Hongcheon-eup, Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon-do, Postal Code 25121
  South Korea

  Address in Korean:
  노승락 홍천군수님
  홍천군청
  (25121) 강원도 홍천군 홍천읍 석화로93
  South Korea

• Send a message through Facebook page:
  Sanary-sur-mer
  Mayor Ferdinand Bernhard
  Hongcheon-gun

  Suggested email/letter/Facebook message – In French

  Subject: les villes jumelée d’Sanary-sur-mer et Hongcheon-gun, Corée du Sud

  Cher Monsieur le Maire, mesdames et messieurs les conseillers municipaux.

  Je me permets par cet email de prendre contact avec vous pour je l’espère que vous puissiez nous aider à avancer dans une cause qui est chère à nos cœurs et qui je l’espère retiendra toute votre attention.

  J’ai appris y a quelque temps que Sanary sur mer était jumelée avec Hongcheon-gun en Corée du sud.

  J’ignore les causes de cette association et je pense que vous y avez très certainement d’excellentes raisons ou bénéfices,mais vous n’êtes pas sans savoir les pratiques dites (culturelles) mais atroces qu’une partie de cette population fait subir aux animaux, chiens et chats de leur région.

  Je suis tout à fait consciente que nous n’avons pas tous les mêmes normes et critères en matière de respect de l’animal mais ce qui ce passe dans cette ville (jumelée à la vôtre) est, vous me l’accorderez certainement, tout à fait inacceptable.

  Je vous partage en pièce jointe ces videos sur l’industrie de la viande de chats et de chiens en Corée du Sud, preuves des immondices dont ces gens sont capables.

  Bien sûr que ces images sont choquantes et ne sont pas pour tout le monde, mais elles sont malheureusement la seule chose, le seul électrochoc qui peut réveiller les esprits et faire enfin évoluer les choses.
  https://koreandogs.org/horrible-reality-of-meat-dog-farms-you-did-not-know/
  https://koreandogs.org/dmp/
  https://koreandogs.org/companion-animals-for-consumption/.
  Je suis également consciente que vous ne pouvez pas à vous seul changer les « coutumes » de cette ville,
  mais vous pourrait certainement nous aider à faire avancer les choses.

  Votre soutien à la pétition qui circule https://www.change.org/p/mayor-ferdinand-bernhard-of-sanary-sur-mer-france-tell-sister-city-hongcheon-gun-korea-that-we-re-opposed-to-the-torture-eating-of-dogs Une réaction de votre part face maire de Hongchéon-gu pour la fermeture des élevages et abattoirs illégaux ainsi qu’une surveillance sur les marchés et restaurants qui cautionnent ces pratiques, mais surtout une remise en question des liens qui vous unissent avec Hongchéon-gu, pourraient faire grandement réagir et nous être d’une aide très précieuse.

  De plus, je pense honnêtement que ce jumelage à plus de risque de ternir l’image de Sanary sur mer qu’autre chose et je pense avec tout mon respect que vous en êtes conscient également.

  Voilà cher monsieur le maire, mesdames et messieurs les conseillers, je vous remercie d’avoir pris le temps de me lire et j’espère que mes mots auront su retenir votre attention.

  Dans l’attente de vos nouvelles, je vous envoie mes respectueuses salutations et je reste à votre entière disposition pour toutes informations qui pourraient vous être utile.

  Cordialement,

  Suggested email/letter/Facebook message

  Subject: Sister City – Hongcheon-gun, South Korea

  Dear Mayor Bernhard and the City Council members,

  We ask you to please watch the videos of South Korea’s dog meat industry:
  https://koreandogs.org/horrible-reality-of-meat-dog-farms-you-did-not-know/
  https://koreandogs.org/dmp/
  https://koreandogs.org/companion-animals-for-consumption/.

  Do you think that Sanary-sur-mer should be a Sister city to any city that allows dogs and cats to be tortured and eaten? Please urge Hongcheon-gun Mayor Noh Seung-Rak to close down all those illegal dog farms and slaughterhouses, markets, truckers, and restaurants that serve these animal products. An online petition calling for your support in ending the horrendous South Korean dog and cat meat cruelty is in progress: https://www.change.org/p/mayor-ferdinand-bernhard-of-sanary-sur-mer-france-tell-sister-city-hongcheon-gun-korea-that-we-re-opposed-to-the-torture-eating-of-dogs
  The favor of your reply is requested.
  Thank you,

  [Your Name & City/Country]

• Call the Mayor’s Office: Tel : (+33) 4 94 32 97 00
  Fax : (+33) 4 94 88 12 04

  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, Hongcheon-gun 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 which is why 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 be affiliated 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.

  These illegal trades are being allowed to continue by Korean authorities – even though there is growing opposition from pet owners across South Korea, and throughout the world.

  So, I am asking you to please speak with your counterparts in Hongcheon-gun to urge them to enforce their own laws, not ignore them, and to show compassion to their companion animals, and also respect to their own citizens, by bringing these trades 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!

  Suggested Twitter text

  .@hongcheongun .@happygangwon .@sanaryofficiel Mayor Bernhard, Plz Urge Sister City Hongcheon-gun, South Korea, Stop torture and consumption of dogs and cats. https://goo.gl/3K9u1y

No matter where you live, PLEASE SHARE these actions with your friends, especially those who live in Sanary-sur-mer!