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Zakynthos, Greece: Tell your Friendship City, Taebaek, South Korea, that you are opposed to the torture and consumption of dogs and cats.

Taebaek Mayor Ryu Tae-Ho

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.

Taebaek became Friendship City with Zakynthos, Greece, in 2016.

In Taebaek, there are numerous 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 in Korea, 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: South Korean Dog Meat Industry, tragedy in Gangwon-do Province. Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE).

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

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 Taebaek 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 Zakynthos mayor, and the city council members:

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

  Send the CC (Carbon Copy) email to the Taebaek City Council, Gangwon Provincial Council and the South Korean National Assembly members:

  [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
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• 📬 Send letter (Use the below-suggested message or petition):

  Municipality of Zakynthos
  Dionysios Solomos Square 1
  ZIP: 29100
  Greece

  📬 Send a copy of your letter to Taebaek:

  Mayor Ryu Tae-Ho
  City of Taebaek
  21 Taeboom-ro, Taebaek, Gangwon-do
  Postal Code 26023
  South Korea

  Taebaek City Council
  21 Taeboom-ro, Taebaek, Gangwon-do
  Postal Code 26023
  South Korea

  📬 Taebaek’s addresses in Korean:

  류태호 태백 시장님
  태백시청
  [26023] 강원도 태백시 태붐로 21
  South Korea

  태백시의회
  [26023] 강원도 태백시 태붐로 21
  South Korea

📝 Suggested message

Mayor Nikitas Aretakis and the Zakynthos City Council members: Tell your Friendship City, Taebaek, South Korea, that you are opposed to the torture and consumption of dogs and cats.

Dear Mayor Nikitas Aretakis and the members of the Zakynthos City Council:

We ask you to please watch the videos from South Korea’s dog meat industry:
Shocking Cruelty of South Korean Dog Meat Industry, Part 1 of 2: https://youtu.be/_ZVQjgGb4RQ
Part 2 of 2: https://vimeo.com/754160791
Urgent Action Alert! Forest fire in Uljin burns dogs imprisoned in dog meat farms: https://koreandogs.org/uljin-fire/

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

In Taebaek, 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. 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, 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 which commonly sell dog/cat elixirs (also known as dog soju and cat soju) and dog meat restaurants in Taebaek.

Would you please urge Taebaek Mayor Ryu Tae-Ho 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 Taebaek is in progress: https://chng.it/9d2cJYtT.

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

📝 Suggested message in Greek

Δήμαρχε Νικήτα Αρετάκη και μέλη του Δημοτικού Συμβουλίου Ζακύνθου: Πείτε στην Φιλική Πόλη Τέμπεκ, στη Νότια Κορέα, ότι είστε ενάντιοι στην κακοποίηση και στη βρώση σκυλιών και γατιών.

Αξιότιμε Δήμαρχε Νικήτα Αρετάκη και αξιότιμα μέλη του Δημοτικού Συμβουλίου Ζακύνθου:

Σας παρακαλούμε να δείτε τις παρακάτω μαγνητοσκοπήσεις από τη Νοτιοκορεατική κρεατοβιομηχανία σκύλων:
Η Φρικτή Αγριότητα των Σφαγείων Σκύλων στη Νότια Κορέα, Μέρος 1 από 2: https://youtu.be/_ZVQjgGb4RQ
Μέρος 2 από 2: https://vimeo.com/754160791
Κάντε κάτι αμέσως! Πυρκαγιά στα δάση της Ουλτζίν και σκυλιά φυλακισμένα στις φάρμες που καίγονται: https://koreandogs.org/uljin-fire/

Γίνεται να είναι η Ζάκυνθος Πόλη Φιλίας με μία πόλη που αφήνει τα σκυλάκια και τα γατάκια να βασανίζονται και να τρώγονται από ανθρώπους;

Στην Τέμπεκ υπάρχουν πολλές φάρμες σκύλων, σφαγεία σκύλων, εστιατόρια με κρέας σκύλων, και τα λεγόμενα «Κέντρα Υγείας» όπου σερβίρουν σούπες φτιαγμένες με κρέας σκύλων για ελιξίρια. Τα σκυλάκια ζουν μαρτυρικές ζωές σε βρώμικα κλουβιά, γεμάτα περιττώματα, στη μέση του πουθενά και στην παντοτινή κακομοιριά, περιμένοντας να σφαχτούν με τους πιο οδυνηρούς τρόπους. Τα σκοτώνουν με ηλεκτροσόκ, με σφυριές στα κεφαλάκια και τους αυχένες τους, με κρέμασμα, με ξυλοδαρμούς μέχρι θανάτου, τους κόβουν τον λαιμό, τα καίνε ζωντανά με φλόγιστρα, ή τα ρίχνουνε ζωντανά σε βαρέλια με βραστό νερό. Σε πολλές τοποθεσίες, σκοτώνουν σκυλιά μπροστά σε άλλα σκυλιά που είναι φυλακισμένα και τρέμουν από τη φρίκη. Αυτά τα κακόμοιρα δεν μπορούν να αποδράσουν και καίγονται ζωντανά μέσα στα κλουβιά τους. Οι σκυλοτροφές που τα ταΐζουνε είναι χαλασμένα σκουπίδια με καυτερές πιπεριές που κανένα ζώο δεν θέλει να τις φάει, και ούτε τους δίνουν ποτέ και νερό! Μαζί με αυτά, υπάρχουν κατοικίδια που κάποτε αγαπήθηκαν από τους ανθρώπους τους και κάποια στιγμή κλάπηκαν και πωλήθηκαν σε τέτοιες επιχειρήσεις, όπου κατέληξαν να έχουν την ίδια φρικτή μοίρα. Μεγάλοι και μικροί σκύλοι που χάθηκαν από αρρώστιες συχνά βρίσκονται πεταμένοι σαν σκουπίδια, και μερικές φορές αφήνονται να σαπίσουν μπροστά σε άλλα κλουβιά ενώ οι σκυλίτσες κλαίνε με απόγνωση για τα νεκρά μωρά τους.

Στην Κορέα με μία έρευνα στο διαδίκτυο βρίσκονται δεκάδες Κέντρα Υγείας που εμπορεύονται ελιξίρια φτιαγμένα από σκύλους/γάτες (αναφέρονται ως σότζου σκύλου / σότζου γάτας) και στο Τέμπεκ βρίσκονται εστιατόρια για κρέας σκύλων.

Θα μπορούσατε παρακαλώ να παροτρύνετε τον Δήμαρχο της Τέμπεκ Ρίου Τέ-χο να κλείσει όλα τα παράνομα σφαγεία σκύλων, τις φάρμες, τις κρεαταγορές, τους φορτηγατζήδες, και τα εστιατόρια που σερβίρουν τα προϊόντα τους; Στο διαδίκτυο κάνουμε μία συλλογή υπογραφών και ζητάμε την υποστήριξή σας για να σταματήσει η συνεχιζόμενη αγριότητα με το κρέας σκύλων και γατών στην Τέμπεκ: https://chng.it/9d2cJYtT.

Εκ μέρους όλων των ζώων που υποφέρουν από την αφάνταστη αγριότητα της κρεατοβιομηχανίας σκυλιών και γατιών, σας ευχαριστούμε για περιμένουμε την απάντησή σας.

Με εκτίμηση,

Name, City, Country

• ☎️ Call the Zakynthos Mayor’s office:

  Phone: +011-30 26953 61301
  Fax: +011-30 26953 61314 (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 Friendship City, Taebaek 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 affiliate 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.

  This illegal industry is being allowed to continue by Taebaek 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 Taebaek 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!
  .@happygangwon .@moonsoonc #Zakynthos #CzechRepublic Tell Friendship City #Taebaek #SouthKorea that you oppose to torture/consumption #dogs #cats🐾https://youtu.be/_ZVQjgGb4RQ😢https://vimeo.com/754160791😭https://koreandogs.org/friendship-city-Taebaek-Zakynthos/📣https://chng.it/9d2cJYtT

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