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Nitra, Slovakia: Tell Sister City, Gyeongju, 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.

Gyeongju Mayor Joo Nak-Young

Gyeongju became a Sister City to Nitra, Slovakia, in 2014.

In Gyeongju, there are numerous dog farms, slaughterhouses, markets, and dog meat 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 killed in full view of other terrified, caged dogs; and this takes place in broad daylight. In Angang Dog Meat Market in Gyeongju, live dogs are displayed in cages, slaughtered, and their body dismembered right on the spot for heartless customers. In addition, many abandoned and stolen former pets end up in this industry and are subject to the same cruelty.

Video: Gyeongju Angang Market, South Korea. Jang Seung-Yeon.

A Search Engine reveals the sickening scale of Gyeongju’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 Gyeongju.

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 the vicinity of Gyeongju 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 Nitra mayor, deputy mayors, 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]; [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];

📧 CC (Carbon Copy) the Gyeongju city council, Gyeongsangbuk-do Council, and 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];
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• 📬 Send a letter (Use the below-suggested message or petition):

  Nitra Mayor Marek Hattas
  Mestský úrad Nitra
  Štefánikova trieda 60
  950 06 NITRA
  Slovakia

  📬 Send a copy of your letter to the Gyeongju Mayor:

  Mayor Joo Nak-Young
  City of Gyeongju
  260, Yangjeong-Ro, Gyeongju-Si, Gyeongsangbuk-Do
  Postal Code 38102
  South Korea

  📬 Gyeongju address in Korean:

  주낙영 경주시장님
  경주시청
  (38102) 경상북도 경주시 양정로 260
  South Korea

📝 Suggested message

Nitra: Tell Sister City, Gyeongju, South Korea, that you oppose the torture and consumption of dogs and cats.

Dear Mayor Marek Hattas and the Nitra City Council members:

We ask you to please watch the videos of 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 Nitra should be a Sister city to any city that allows dogs and cats to be tortured and eaten by people?

Gyeongju is one of the largest dog meat suppliers and consumption cities in South Korea. In Gyeongju, there are numerous dog farms, dog slaughterhouses, dog meat restaurants, and so-called “Health Centers” where they serve soup made of dog meat as an elixir. In Angang Dog Meat Market in Gyeongju, live dogs are displayed in cages, slaughtered, and their body dismembered right on the spot for heartless customers. 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, 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 Gyeongju, 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” that commonly sell dog/cat elixirs (dog soju and cat soju) and dog meat restaurants in Gyeongju.

Would you please urge Gyeongju Mayor Joo Nak-Young to close down all illegal dog farms, slaughterhouses, markets, truckers, and restaurants serving these animal products? An online petition calling for your support in ending the horrendous Gyeongju’s dog and cat meat cruelty is in progress: https://chng.it/yTfVDDPh.

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 Nitra Mayor’s office:
  +011 +421 37/65 02 112 (calling from the United States)

  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, Gyeongju, 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 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 Gyeongju and Korean 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 Gyeongju to urge them to enforce their laws, not ignore them, show compassion to their companion animals, and respect their citizens by bringing these trades to an end.

  I know 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!
  .@GyeongJuCity .@gyeongsangbukdo #Nitra #Slovakia Tell Sister City #Gyeongju #SouthKorea that you oppose torture/consumption of #Dogs #Cats #Dogmeat #Catmeat https://chng.it/yTfVDDPh 😿 https://koreandogs.org/Gyeongju-dog-farms/ 😭🙏https://koreandogs.org/sister-city-gyeongju-nitra
• Click HERE to post on Gyeongju City-International Cooperation Team’s official Facebook page.

  📝 You can use the suggested message from this campaign or dog farm campaign.

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