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Canton of Schwyz Mayor Petra Steimen-Rickenbacher: Tell your Friendship City, Seoul Seocho District, South Korea, that you are 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.

Seoul Seocho District became a Friendship City with Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland, in 2020.

Seoul Seocho District Mayor Cho Eun-Hee

In Seoul Seocho District, there are numerous 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: ‘Street of Horror’ Dog slaughterhouses in the heart of Seoul Seocho District

Video: Dogs who suffered their entire lives are electric tortured and killed in cages—South Korea’s horrific dog meat industry. jtbc News.[추적보도 훅] 철창 갇힌 채 감전사…’먹히기 위해’ 죽어가는 개들 / JTBC 뉴스룸

A Search Engine reveals the sickening scale of Seoul Seocho District’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 many hundreds of Health Centers and dog meat restaurants in Seoul Seocho District.

Even if half of these ‘Health’ Food Centers and restaurants serve dog and cat ‘ingredients’ in one form or another, imagine how many dog/cat slaughterhouses must be present in the vicinity of Seoul 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 Canton of Schwyz mayor and the Canton of Schwyz Governing Council members.

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

  Send the CC (Carbon Copy) email to the Seoul Seocho District Council, Seoul Metropolitan Council members 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];
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• 📬 Send letters (Use the below-suggested message or petition):

  Mayor Petra Steimen-Rickenbacher and Governing Council
  Canton of Schwyz
  __________
  __________
  Switzerland

  📬 Send a copy of your letter to Seoul Seocho District:
  Mayor Cho Eun-Hee
  Seoul Seocho District Office
  2584 Nambusunhwan-ro, Seocho-gu, Seoul
  Postal Code 06750
  South Korea

  Seoul Seocho District Council
  2584 Nambusunhwan-ro, Seocho-gu, Seoul
  Postal Code 06750
  South Korea

  📬 Seoul Seocho District’s addresses in Korean:
  조은희구청장님
  서울서초구청
  (06750) 서울특별시 서초구 남부순환로 2584
  South Korea

  서초구의회
  (06750) 서울특별시 서초구 남부순환로 2584
  South Korea

Suggested message

Subject: Canton of Schwyz Mayor Petra Steimen-Rickenbacher: Tell your Friendship City, Seoul Seocho District, South Korea, that you are opposed to the torture and consumption of dogs and cats.

Dear Mayor Steimen-Rickenbacher and the Schwyz Governing Council members:

We ask you to please watch the videos from South Korea’s dog meat industry:
Part 1 of 2: https://youtu.be/_ZVQjgGb4RQ
Part 2 of 2: https://vimeo.com/754160791
Dogs who suffered their entire lives are electric tortured and killed in cages—South Korea’s horrific dog meat industry: https://koreandogs.org/jtbc-news-electric-tortured-in-cages/
Forest fire in Uljin burns dogs imprisoned in dog meat farms: https://youtu.be/mh1lEGt2gjU
https://youtu.be/GLLeI_XFNPg

Do you think Canton of Schwyz should be a Friendship City to any city that allows dogs and cats to be tortured and eaten by people?

In Seoul Seocho District, there are numerous dog meat restaurants and so-called “Health Centers” that serve soup made of dog meat as an elixir. Dogs suffer their entire lives in filthy, feces encrusted raised wire cages in utter misery only to be slaughtered in the most horrific ways. They are killed by electrocution, hammer strikes to their head and necks, being hung, being beaten to death, having their throats slit, being burned alive with a blowtorch, or thrown into a vat of boiling water while still alive. In many places in Korea, 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. In addition, 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 the Seoul Seocho District.

Would you please urge Seoul Seocho District Mayor Cho Eun-Hee to close down all illegal dog farms and slaughterhouses, markets, truckers, and restaurants that serve their products? An online petition calling for your support in ending the horrendous dog and cat meat cruelty in Seoul Seocho District is in progress: https://chng.it/zxBTNTcn.

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

Sincerely,

Suggested message in German

Frau Landammann des Kanton Schwyz Petra Steimen-Rickenbacher: beziehen Sie Stellung gegenüber Ihrer Partnerstadt Seoul Seocho Distrikt, Südkorea, dass Sie den Konsum von Katzen- und Hundefleisch ablehnen.

Sehr geehrte Frau Landammann Steimen-Rickenbacher, sehr geehrte Mitglieder des Regierungsrats des Kanton Schwyz:

Wir bitten Sie, folgende Videos zur Hundefleischindustrie Südkoreas anzuschauen:
Teil 1 von 2: https://youtu.be/_ZVQjgGb4RQ
Teil 2 von 2: https://vimeo.com/754160791
Hunde, welche schon ihr Leben lang leiden mussten, werden mit Elektroschocks gefoltert und in ihren Käfigen getötet – das ist Südkoreas grauenhafte Hundefleischindustrie: https://koreandogs.org/jtbc-news-electric-tortured-in-cages/
Bei einem Waldbrand in Uljin verbrennen Hunde eingesperrt auf den Hundefleischfarmen: https://youtu.be/mh1lEGt2gjU
https://youtu.be/GLLeI_XFNPg

Sind Sie der Meinung, der Kanton Schwyz sollte die Partnerstadt einer Stadt sein, die die Folter und den Verzehr von Hunden und Katzen erlaubt?

Im Seoul Seocho Distrikt bieten zahlreiche Hundefleischrestaurants und sogenannte “Gesundheitszentren” aus einem “Hundefleischelixier” bestehende Suppe an. Die Hunde leiden ihr Leben lang, welches sie in dreckigen, mit Fekalien verschmutzten Drahtkäfigen verbringen, um dann auf die brutalsten Weisen geschlachtet zu werden. Sie werden getötet durch Stromschläge, Hammerschläge auf den Kopf und Nacken, erhängt, zu Tode geprügelt. Ihnen werden die Kehlen durchtrennt, sie werden bei lebendigem Leib und vollem Bewusstsein verbrannt oder in kochendes Wasser geworfen. Oft passiert dies direkt vor den Augen weiterer völlig verängstigter, gefangener Hunde, welche vor Schreck zittern. Allzu oft verbrennen diese armen Hunde lebendig in ihren Käfigen, wo ihnen die Flucht unmöglich ist. Auch Haustiere sind vor diesem Schicksal nicht sicher, da sie oft gestohlen und auf dem Hundefleischmarkt verkauft werden. Hunde und Welpen, welche an Krankheiten versterben, werden weggeworfen wie Müll – oder verwesen direkt vor den Käfigen und Augen der eigenen Mütter, welche aus Verweiflung und Trauer um ihre toten Welpen aufschreien.

Über Internetrecherche lassen sich dutzende von Gesundheitszentren finden, welche häufig Hunde- und Katzenelixire verkaufen (auch bekannt als Hundesoju und Katzensoju), sowie Hundefleischrestaurants im Seoul Seocho Distrikt.

Bitte legen Sie Bürgemeisterin des Seoul Seocho Distrikts Cho Eun-Hee eindringlich nahe, illegale Hundefarmen und Schlachthäuser, sowie Märkte, Transporte und Restaurants, die diese Produkte anbieten, zu schließen. Eine Onlinepetition, die Ihrer Unterstützung bedarf, um diese entsetzliche Gewalt im Hunde- und Katzenfleischhandel im Seoul Seocho Distrikt zu beenden, läuft bereits: https://chng.it/zxBTNTcn.

Im Namen aller Tiere, die Unbeschreibliches in der Hunde- und Katzenfleischindustrie erleiden, danken wir Ihnen im Voraus und warten auf Ihre Stellungnahme.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

• ☎️ Call the Schwyz Mayor’s office: +011-41 41 819 16 00 (from the USA)
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 Friendship City, Seoul Seocho District in South Korea.

If I could explain: Dog-meat consumption is currently being practiced in that district, even though it is illegal under South Korean Law – but the laws are not enforced. The dog and cat meat industry involves 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 canton would wish to be made aware of this issue, as you would not want to affiliate with a district 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 Seoul Seocho District authorities – even though there is growing opposition from pet owners across South Korea and worldwide.

So, I am asking you to please speak with your counterparts in Seoul Seocho District 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!
  .@seochonews .@seoulmania @seoulcouncil #KantonSchwyz Tell Friendship City #Seoul #SeochoDistrict #SouthKorea that you are opposed to the torture/consumption of #dogs and #cats 🐾 https://youtu.be/_ZVQjgGb4RQ😢https://vimeo.com/754160791 😭 https://chng.it/zxBTNTcn https://koreandogs.org/friendship-city-Seoul-Seocho-Schwyz/

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