Blog

Campaign updated on February 2, 2022.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner: Tell your Friendship City, Seoul, 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 became a Friendship City with Houston, Texas in 2014.

In Seoul, 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.

Video: ‘Street of Horror’ Dog slaughterhouses in the heart of Seoul

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’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.

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 mayor and the Houston City Council.

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  Send the CC (Carbon Copy) email to the Seoul Metropolitan Council members and the South Korean National Assembly members:

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• 📬 Send letters (Use the below-suggested message or petition):

  Mayor Sylvester Turner
  City of Houston
  P.O. Box 1562
  Houston, TX 77251
  USA

  Houston City Council
  City of Houston
  P.O. Box 1562
  Houston, TX 77251
  USA

  Send a copy of your letter to Seoul:
  Mayor Oh Se-Hoon
  Seoul Metropolitan Government
  Saejong-daero 110, Jung-gu, Seoul, Postal Code 04524
  South Korea

  Address in Korean:
  오세훈 서울특별시 시장님
  서울시청
  04524 서울특별시 중구 세종대로 110
  South Korea

  Seoul Metropolitan Council
  Saejong-daero 125, Jung-gu, Seoul, Postal Code 04519
  South Korea

  Address in Korean:
  서울특별시의회
  (04519) 서울특별시 중구 세종대로 125
  South Korea

Suggested message

Subject: Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner: Tell your Friendship City, Seoul, South Korea, that you are opposed to the torture and consumption of dogs and cats.

Dear Mayor Sylvester Turner and the Houston City 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
https://koreandogs.org/jtbc-news-electric-tortured-in-cages/

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

Seoul is the largest dog meat consumption city in South Korea. There are countless dog farms, dog slaughterhouses, hundreds of dog meat restaurants, and so-called “Health Centers” serving 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 Seoul, dogs are killed in full view of other terrified, caged dogs who tremble with terror. 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 many hundreds of Health Centers which commonly sell dog/cat elixirs (also known as dog soju and cat soju) and dog meat restaurants in Seoul.

Would you please urge Seoul Mayor Oh Se-Hoon 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 is in progress: https://chng.it/v7LTLJWm.

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,

• ☎️ Call the Houston Mayor’s office: (713) 837-0311
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 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 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 Seoul 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 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!
  .@seoulmania .@seoulcouncil .@HoustonTX .@SylvesterTurner Tell Friendship City #Seoul #SouthKorea that you are opposed to the torture and consumption of #dogs and #cats 🐾 https://youtu.be/_ZVQjgGb4RQ😢https://vimeo.com/754160791 😭 https://chng.it/v7LTLJWm https://koreandogs.org/friendship-city-seoul-houston/

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