Blog

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.

In Incheon Seo-gu District, 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 broad daylight. In addition, many abandoned and stolen former pets end up in this industry and are subject to the same cruelty.

Below are more livestream videos from CARE investigating dog farms in a village in Incheon Seo-gu district:

https://www.facebook.com/CAREanimalKorea/posts/6509364799077320
https://www.facebook.com/CAREanimalKorea/posts/6508968219116978
https://www.facebook.com/CAREanimalKorea/posts/6509173292429804

A Search Engine reveals the sickening scale of Incheon Seo-gu’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 66 Health Food Shops and 125 dog meat restaurants in the vicinity of Incheon Seo-gu.

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 Incheon Seo-gu 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

• 👉 Click HERE to file a petition with the South Korean government through e-People online. (You can use our “Suggested message” below or your own words.)
  📌 Need help with the e-People petition? Click HERE for instructions.
• 📧 Send emails to the Incheon Seo-gu Council members and the South Korean National Assembly, Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans, and Fisheries Committee 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]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];

• 📧 Send emails to the Incheon Metropolitan 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]; [email protected]; [email protected];

• Send letter:
  District Mayor Lee Jae-Hyeon
  Incheon Seo-gu Government
  307 Seogot-ro, Seo-gu, Incheon
  Postal code 22726
  South Korea

  Address in Korean:
  이재현 인천서구청장님
  인천광역시서구청
  (22726) 인천광역시 서구 서곶로 307
  South Korea

  Incheon Seo-gu Council
  307 Seogot-ro, Seo-gu, Incheon
  Postal code 22726
  South Korea

  Address in Korean:
  인천광역시서구의회
  (22726) 인천광역시 서구 서곶로 307
  South Korea

• Send a message through Facebook pages.
  

  Incheon Seo-gu
  Incheon
  Incheon Mayor
  Gyeonggi-do Government
  Gyeonggi-do Governor
  Gyeonggi-do Assembly

  📝 Suggested message

  Subject: Incheon Seo-gu, South Korea, Shut down the illegal dog meat farms, slaughterhouses, markets and restaurants.

  Petition: https://www.change.org/p/incheon-seo-gu-district-mayor-lee-jae-hyeon-incheon-seo-gu-s-korea-shut-down-the-illegal-dog-meat-farms-markets-and-restaurants

  Dear District Mayor Lee Jae-Hyeon and the Incheon Seo-gu Council members,

  Please watch the livestream videos from Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE). https://www.facebook.com/CAREanimalKorea/videos/5208697119147385
  https://www.facebook.com/CAREanimalKorea/videos/1259095781208760/

  Also please watch this documentary, “The Dog Meat Professionals: South Korea” https://youtu.be/cCdTceduKcY.

  We ask you to take immediate action to crack down on the illegal dog farms, slaughterhouses, markets and restaurants that serve dog meat in your District. We request that an official document be issued, mandating that the following existing Korean laws be enforced by its government officials, police and judges:

  Unauthorized processing of food waste fed to dogs in the meat trade violates the Wastes Control Act, Article 15-2, Article 25, Section 3. Suppliers of food waste and transporters of food waste to dog meat farms are violating this regulation.

  Food waste fed to dogs in the dog meat trade violates the Control of Livestock and Fish Feed Act, Article 14, Sections 1 & 2. The unauthorized collection of food waste and feeding it to dogs in the meat trade violates this regulation.

  Excrement and resulting environmental damage produced as a by-product of the illegal dog meat farm violates the Act on the Management and Use of Livestock Excreta Article 11. The excrement produced at dog meat farms causes environmental damage to the immediate and surrounding area.

  Slaughtering dogs for human consumption violates the Animal Protection Act Article 8, Section 1. Killing an animal by hanging it by the neck or by using any other cruel methods; killing an animal on the street or any other places open to the public or killing an animal with animals of the same kind present at the scene; killing an animal by failing to feed or water it on purpose; killing an animal without any justifiable grounds is clear violation of the Animal Protection Act.

  The slaughter of dogs by electrocution violates the Animal Protection Act, Article 8, Section 1, Clause 1. Inflicting an injury to animals by physical or chemical means, such as tools or drugs, is subject to legal punishment. Therefore, the routine slaughter of dogs by butchers and farmers by these methods violates the Act. (Penalty: imprisonment with labor for not more than three years or by a fine not exceeding 30 million won per Article 46 of the Animal Protection Act.) Further, electrocution as a method of slaughter is internationally recognized as an inherently cruel method of slaughter and banned globally. In Korea, the Supreme Court in 2020 convicted a case of slaughtering a dog using an electric iron skewer.

  The slaughter of dogs from an unauthorized slaughterhouse violates the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act, Article 7 Section 1. The Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act states that dogs are officially recognized and classified as “animals” that are “prohibited from being slaughtered and distributed as food for human consumption.” Therefore, those vendors operating dog slaughterhouses are operating outside of the parameters of the law and in violation of the law. (Penalty: imprisonment with labor for not more than 10 years or a fine not exceeding 100 million won per Article 45 of the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act.)

  The slaughter of dogs for consumption violates the Animal Protection Act, Article 10. The Act intends to ensure that no animal is slaughtered in a cruel or revolting manner, and shall be free from unnecessary pain, fear, or stress during the slaughter process. Therefore, the only humane way of slaughtering dogs would be by euthanasia (lethal injection). All currently practiced methods of slaughter by butchers, farmers and traders exclude euthanasia as a method of slaughter. Therefore, they are all in breach of this Act. This is also a violation of the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act Article 7 Section 1 Clause 2. According to the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act, the slaughter of animals for their consumption is allowed only for the livestock animals publicly announced as livestock classification in the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act and dogs are not classified here.

  The display and sale of dog carcasses in traditional outdoor markets violate the Food Sanitation Act, Article 4, 5. Violation of laws banning the sale of harmful food due to the contamination from the unsanitary and illegal slaughter of the animal and display of the dog carcass. For example, dog carcasses are routinely contaminated by microorganisms that cause human diseases and food poisoning, leading to severe and life-threatening health complications. There are also strict laws that ban the sale of meat from sick animals. Because there is no quality control or proper monitoring of slaughter practices in the dog meat trade, likely, these laws are routinely violated.

  Dog meat restaurants’ sale of dog meat soup made with dog carcasses from an unknown source violates the Food Sanitation Act Article 44 Section 1 Clause 1. Uninspected livestock products must not be transported, stored, displayed, sold, or used to manufacture or process food for human consumption.

  Please refer to the legal information regarding dog meat consumption in South Korea published by KARA (Korea Animal Rights Advocates): https://www.ekara.org/activity/against/read/7537, https://koreandogs.org/kara-publishes-legal-information-booklet-ending-dog-meat-consumption/

  The United States House of Representatives has formally passed H.Res. 401, which “Calls for an end to the dog and cat meat industry and urges all nations to outlaw the dog and cat meat trade.” https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-resolution/401

  International coverage of the brutal dog and cat meat trade in South Korea has stained your District’s image. The time to end this tragedy is now. An online petition calling for your immediate action to end the horrendous South Korean dog and cat meat cruelty is in progress: https://www.change.org/p/incheon-seo-gu-district-mayor-lee-jae-hyeon-incheon-seo-gu-s-korea-shut-down-the-illegal-dog-meat-farms-markets-and-restaurants The favor of your reply is requested.

  * Please respond to my petition in English and Korean using the Microsoft Word Document. The Hancom word processor program is not used outside Korea, and we cannot open Hancom’s .hwp file.

  📝 Suggested message in Korean (Please include this in your petition.)

  인천서구는 불법 개농장, 도축장, 시장, 보신탕집을 폐쇄하라!

  전자청원: 인천서구는 불법 개농장, 도축장, 시장, 보신탕집을 폐쇄하라!
  https://www.change.org/p/incheon-seo-gu-district-mayor-lee-jae-hyeon-incheon-seo-gu-s-korea-shut-down-the-illegal-dog-meat-farms-markets-and-restaurants

  이재현 인천서구청장님과 인천서구의회 의원님들께 청원합니다.

  우선 동물권단체 케어의 영상를 봐주시기 바랍니다. https://www.facebook.com/CAREanimalKorea/videos/5208697119147385
  https://www.facebook.com/CAREanimalKorea/videos/1259095781208760/

  “대한의 육견인들 (https://youtu.be/cCdTceduKcY)”이라는 다큐멘터리도 참고로 봐주시기 바랍니다.

  인천서구는 개고기를 다루는 불법 개농장, 도살장, 시장, 보신탕집, 건강원을 단속하는 즉각적 조치를 취하기를 촉구합니다. 또한 한국정부, 경찰청, 사법기관이 아래와 같은 기존 한국법 시행을 요구하는 공식문서를 발급할 것을 요청합니다.

  – 개의 사육단계에서 식용견 사료용으로 음식쓰레기를 무단처리하는 것은 폐기물 관리법 제 15조의 2, 제 25조 3항 위반입니다. 음식물쓰레기 배출자와 운반자들은 이 의무규정을 위반하고 개농장주에게 음식쓰레기를 제공하고 있습니다.

  – 허가 없이 음식쓰레기를 수집/운반하여 개에게 급여하는것은 사료관리법 제 14조 1항 및 2항의 위반입니다.

  – 불법으로 난립된 개농장에서 배출되는 분뇨로 인한 환경위해는가축분뇨법 제 11조의 위반입니다. 개농장의 배설물은 인근 지역 환경 피해를 유발합니다.

  – 식용하기 위한 개도살은 동물보호법 제 8조 1항 4호의 위반입니다. 개도살은 수의학적 처치의 필요나 동물로 인한 사람의 생명, 신체, 재산의 피해를 입은 경우 같은 정당한 사유 없이 동물을 죽이는 행위로 명백한 법 위반 행위입니다.

  – 전기감전으로 개를 도살하는 행위는 동물보호법 제 8조 1항 1호의 위반입니다. 도구, 약물 또는 열, 전기, 물을 이용한 상해 행위마저 법적 처벌의 대상인 만큼 당연히 상기 방법에 의한 도살 행위는 위법이며 특히 전기도살은 그 잔인함으로 인해 국제적으로 금지되고 있습니다.

  – 무허가 도살장에서 개를 도살하는 행위는 축산물 위생관리법 제 7조 1항 위반입니다. 개는 축산물 위생관리법에서 규정한 ‘도살, 식육으로의 유통이 불가능’한 동물로서 허가받은 도살장이 존재할수가 없습니다. 따라서 개 도살장을 운영하는 공급업체는 법의 매개 변수를 벗어나 법을 위반하고 있는 것입니다.

  – 자가소비를 목적으로 개를 도살하는 행위는 동물보호법 제 10조와 축산물 위생관리법 제 7조 1항 2호의 위반입니다. 모든 동물은 잔인한 방법으로 도살되어서는 안되는데, 개도살의 경우 인도적인 방법은 약물주사 외에는 없으므로 현재 한국에서 자행되는 모든 식용 목적 개도살은 잔인한 도살에 해당합니다. 축산물 위생관리법의 ‘자가소비를 위한 도살 허용’은 고시로 정한 축산물 위생관리법상 가축에 한하며 개는 해당사항이 없습니다.

  – 재래시장에서 개의 지육을 전시/판매하는 행위는 식품위생법 제4, 5조의 위반입니다. 불결한 불법도축과 지육 전시과정에서의 오염으로 ‘위해식품 등의 판매금지’ 조항에 위배됩니다. 개의 지육이 병을 일으키는 미생물에 오염된 경우 인체의 건강을 해칠 우려가 있습니다. 또 유기견이나 개농장의 병든 개체가 도살돼 판매될 가능성을 배제하지 못하므로 ‘병든 동물의 고기 등의 판매금지’ 조항에 위배됩니다.

  – 보신탕집에서 출처 불명의 개고기를 이용한 보신탕을 판매하는 행위는 식품위생법 제44, 1항 1호의 위반입니다. 검사를 받지 않은 축산물은 운반, 보관, 진열, 판매하거나 식품의 제조, 가공에 사용해서는 안됩니다.

  동물권행동 카라의 개식용에 관한 법적 정보 “개식용 종식을 위한 법규 안내집이 발간되었습니다!”를 참조하십시오.
  https://www.ekara.org/activity/against/read/7537

  정부의 무위가 가져온 파국 ‘개식용’, 무법이 아닌 불법인 이유:
  사육: https://www.ekara.org/activity/against/read/16556
  도살: https://www.ekara.org/activity/against/read/19677
  유통, 판매: https://ekara.org/activity/against/read/19754

  미국 하원은 공식적으로 결의안 H.Res 401 “개와 고양이 식용산업을 종식시키고 모든 국가가 개와 고양이식용를 금지할 것을 촉구한다.”를 통과시켰습니다. https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-resolution/401

  인천서구에서 자행되는 잔인한 개/고양이 식용산업에 대한 외신 보도가 인천서구의 이미지를 크게 추락시키고 있습니다. 이 비극을 끝낼 때입니다! 인천서구의 회신을 요청드립니다.

  * 청원 답변은 한글과 영어로 마이크로소프트 워드 파일로 보내주시기 바랍니다. 한콤 .hwp파일은 외국에서는 사용하지않으며 오픈할수 없습니다.

• Send a Twitter message!

  Suggested Twitter text

  .@incheon_council .@incheon_gov .@parknamchun Incheon Seo-gu, South Korea, Shut down the illegal dog meat farms, slaughterhouses, markets and restaurants. https://www.change.org/p/incheon-seo-gu-district-mayor-lee-jae-hyeon-incheon-seo-gu-s-korea-shut-down-the-illegal-dog-meat-farms-markets-and-restaurants

Video: Appalling Reality of South Korea’s Illegal Dog Farms (불법 개농장 참혹한 현실 – 제보자들 20200610)

Video: The Dog Meat Professionals: South Korea