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This is English transcript for TV program South Korea’s Dog Meat Trade: Eating sick dogs and former pet dogs 수상한 식탁, 보양식의 상징 개고기의 불편한 진실originally aired on TV Chosun in July 2012.
Click HERE for English caption with time stamp.
Click HERE for program blog page and to watch program preview by TV Chosun.

Scorching hot July afternoon. Today is Boknal (Dog days of summer in Korea).
Nutty smell of perilla seeds is rushing the people’s footsteps.
People seeking tasty food and taking care of their health without questioning or thinking.

Diner1: Dog meat is digested the best, it’s soft and easy to eat. Therefore, I eat it often.

Diner2: After eating few bowls of this soup, I can beat the summer heat and stay energetic.

Diner3: Dog meat was eaten from the time of our ancestors so there is no need to argue whether it’s legal or illegal…because it’s just food.

Today we are going to tell you about the inconvenient truth about dog meat, the symbol of health food.

Incheon

We received an information from someone who quit eating dog meat as a result of a dumbfounding experience.
He said the dog meat his mother-in-law made for him was shocking.

Informant C.M. Kim (Alias) (38 years old)

This place had dogs. I am not sure if they raise or just sell these dogs.
Typical pet dog breeds such as Cocker Spaniels, Spitz, Poodles and even Dalmatians were being slaughtered.
I was curious where these dogs were being distributed. Upon following, it was a local “Health Food Center”.

Shocking information about pet dogs slaughter.

Nonsan-city

We left for Nonsan-city, Chungnam-province where the informer witnessed this scene.
We found a large warehouse building.
We staked out behind the building and gazed at the livestock stable.
3 or 4 man brought dogs and looked into the stable. Soon after they left the stable.
Where would this truck be going?
Meanwhile, several trucks goes in and out and another truck came in.
A spotted dog is brought in.
The man hand over the spotted dog.
A man disappears with the spotted dog and soon after returns holding a leg of hanging dog.
Spotted dog is taken into warehouse. Man tosses the empty collar back into his truck.
A stable that looks to be a slaughterhouse. What happened to the spotted dog?
What could be happening inside?
Inside 2 man were slaughtering meat dogs.
People skillfully processing the dogs ordered by the customers

Women: Who’s is this one? Yours?
Man: Yes.
Women: It has lots of fat.
Man: It’s not my dog. A friend of mine gave him to me. He was fed Janban(food waste).

According to the customers, this slaughterhouse exclusively distributes dog meats in this town.
We cautiously went inside the stable.
At a glance, there seems to be about 50 or so dogs here. They look like typical “meat dogs”.
Did the spotted dog disappear from here?
At that moment, a white dog had eye contact with us.
Found pet dog presumably abandoned.
As we entered inside, we saw dogs that are not typical “meat dogs”.
Tens of pet dogs of all breeds from unknown sources were being raised together.

Woman: Sell him to me for 30K KRW ($26 USD) slaughtered and ready.

Owner sells a small dog for 30K KRW ($26 USD).

Atmosphere suddenly turns to terror inside the stable and then, the tool used to slaughtered the dog is a hammer and an industrial blowtorch.
Women loads the slaughtered dog she just purchased.
Small enough to not even fill a black plastic bag.
Truck that loaded the bag is leaving the slaughterhouse in a hurry.
We quickly followed this truck.
Upon following for about 10 minutes, the truck stopped somewhere near a major highway.
Diligently carrying something inside.
Finally carrying in the black plastic bag.
What kind of place could it be?
Slaughtered small dog was supplied to a “Health Food Center”.

Owner of Health Food Center: My brother-in-law invited me to go eat dog meat at a well-known restaurant in Guri-city. There they were using pet dogs as meat. I couldn’t refuse so I ate it. I had only heard about pet dogs being used as meat and since I experienced it myself, I feel very uncomfortable with the corrupted distribution process. Pet dogs should not be used as meat. But the reality is pet dogs are being used as meat so I am not happy about that.

We revisited the scene.

Undercover: Are you raising this dog?
Owner: No. I am just taking care of him for someone. They are Spitz. Balbari Spitz. If you brush their fur nicely, they will look beautiful.
Undercover: OK. Can you take one out of the cage for me?
Owner: Lift the big one. This one is at least 100K KRW ($88 USD) worth of meat.

Fate of 2 Spitz dogs that could be slaughtered at any moment.
We have decided to rescue one of them.
Dog doesn’t seem to realize what is happening to him. He is a very lucky dog.

Owner’s son: This dog looks dirty because he’s been here but he is a very pretty dog.

Even after awhile, he seems very nervous.

Undercover: He is salivating. He’s got eye bugger.

We quickly took him to a Veterinarian.

M Veterinarian, Seoul, Gangnam-Borough

Based on examination, he was a purebred 2 years old Spitz.
Physical examination was performed. Internal organs, respiratory system, and skin were examined.
To remove fleas, fur had to be trimmed.

Reporter: Come here!
Vet staff: He can come out now because he has been treated with medication. He is very shy and afraid of people he doesn’t know. He wants to hide and avoid people.
Reporter: His skin looks terrible.
Vet staff: Yes. There were a lot of ticks and we had to remove them.
Veterinarian H.S. Kim: Dogs get abandoned when they get sick. Running into financial trouble while being treated or change in situation also cause abandonment.

Typical treatment includes medicating with antibiotics when they are infected with germs.
From that perspective, it’s a nonsense to eat dog meat.
So why is this happening without any hesitation?

Ministry of Health and Welfare

Ministry official: There is no specific department that oversees dog meat issue. We regulate restaurants so you might say that we are overseeing the dog meat but there is no department specific for dog meat anywhere. For example, Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries manages the things growing in the farm and Ministry of Health and Welfare manages it once it leaves the farm. We are responsible for any food ingredients and food sanitation law is applicable.
Reporter: Food sanitation law is applicable? How about the dog meat being sold right now?
Ministry official: I don’t know about that issue. Call the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Government agencies all ignoring the issue.
We looked up the law.
Based on Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Livestock Industry Act, dogs are classified as livestock such as cows and pigs. And in cases of abuse, they are protected by the Animal Protection Act.

However the problem is dog is not classified as livestock under the Livestock Product Sanitary Control Act, Section 2, putting dog meat outside the regulatory control.

Former member of National Assembly, S.C. Song

Because dog meat trade is not legalized, breeding process is very unsanitary and we can see the dogs are being very abused. There is no measures for infectious diseases and so many dogs are dying from it. And if these dogs are disposed of properly there will be no problem but these dogs are being distributed as meat. That’s not the fault of the people but the fault of the government who left the issue in a legal blind spot.

Since the situation is such as this, there are many places that pretends not to know what’s going on and distributes pet dogs as meat.

OO Pet Dog Auction Market

Opening once a week. We visited this market after hearing a rumor that something suspicious is going on.
Located in Gyeonggido-province, this place is well known among the pet dog business community.
With annual membership fee of 50K KRW ($44 USD), people who buys and sells dogs are mostly pet dog business operators.

Man: We have permit and we pay taxes. There are many places like this auction markets.
Reporter: Do you know about the OO Pet Dog Auction market?
Namyangju-city official: Yes. We know about that.
Reporter: Isn’t there anything you can do about it?
Namyangju-city official: No. There is no law regulating it. We visit the market occasionally to check for any abandoned dogs being distributed.

But we saw mostly meat dogs being traded there.
Pet dogs are also being sold by the pet dog breeders.
Majority of pet dog breeders have business licenses.
However, meat dog farmers trade their dogs at the market but they often don’t have business licenses.

Reporter: Can’t you ban the distribution of meat dogs there?
Namyangju-city official: No. We can’t ban them. There is nothing we can do except to regulate the sanitation or the restaurants.
Auctioneer: OK. We will start at 100K KRW ($88 USD). 110K, 120K, 130K, No 42 Sold!
Auctioneer: OK. Again we will start at 100K KRW ($88 USD). 110K, 120K, 130K KRW, No 31 Sold!
Auctioneer: OK. Maltese female puppy. Maltese. No 35 Sold!
Auctioneer: Pomeranian. Pomeranian. Will start at 200K KRW ($177 USD).

Scene of auction market with high dollar trades. You must have a pet dog business license to be admitted.
However, outside the auction market atmosphere is a little different.

Auctioneer: Female 30K KRW ($27 USD), 40K, 50K, 60K, 70K, 70K KRW.
Auctioneer: OK. Be bold! 4 dogs at 120K KRW ($106 USD).

From 10K KRW to 4 dogs at 120K KRW. The people outside seems to be more generous.
At that moment, a women who is closely observing the dogs in the cages. She stands out from the crowd of mostly middle aged men.
We followed her to the parking lot where her car is parked.
A big dog purchased outside the auction market is in her car.
We followed her very closely.
She must have purchased the dog for meat.
Isn’t this the way to the Moran Market?
Car is heading towards Seongnam-city.
However, we lost her. First attempt at chase failed.

With Boknal (Dog days of summer)around the corner, we visited the auction market again.
We saw the same car that we failed to chase a week ago.
Auction market is a lot more busy this time.
Among the crowd who’s trying to buy big and cheap dogs, we found that same women.
Wearing the same clothes as the last time.
We change our strategy this time.
Let’s split here. Let’s go right. We will go first.
After splitting, team A followed her very closely.
The place the car was headed was Moran Market in Seongnam-city same direction she was heading last time.

Moran Market, Seongnam-city, Gyeonggido-province

The car parked in front of a “Health Food Center”.
2 dogs purchased at the auction market is being dragged out of the car.
Immediately, we met with the “Health Food Center” people in order to confirm.

Merchant: You shouldn’t broadcast this stuff. It hurts our business. Do you know why we are frustrated? You guys come again and again asking the same questions. Why do you come in the busy summer time?
Reporter: We recorded the dogs from auction market arriving here. Is it cheaper to buy the dogs from the auction market?

Merchant left saying that they have more time in the winter.

Moran Market Merchant Association Representative: Pet dogs, small dogs are not supplied here. We do not buy nor sell those dogs. If we put the dirty or dogs with skin problems in the cage, it can contaminate and no one would want to buy them.

Moran market distributes 30% of the country’s dog meat.
Every summer time, buyers and sellers gather here from all around the country.
Can this industry be self-regulated?
We tried to find out if the abandoned dogs and pet dogs’ distribution is being blocked.

Customer: This is too skinny.
Merchant: I will give him to you for 250K KRW ($221 USD).

A women looking for a cheap small dog. But typical meat dog is over 200K KRW ($177 USD).
She went into another shop.

Merchant: There is nothing for 150K KRW ($133 USD). The cheapest ones are 170, 180K KRW.

Another haggling takes place in front of mid-sized dogs.

Merchant: Which one? Small one? 130K, 140K KRW ($123 USD).
Women: Why is it so expensive?

Women with tight budget. Trying to find a bargain.

Women: I can get good price here, right?
Merchant: What?
Women: Dog.
Merchant: We are sold out.
Women: How much is this? How much is that one?
Merchant: About 130K KRW ($115 USD).
Merchant: It’s only 100K KRW ($88 USD). Lots of meat.
Women: This is a big dog, isn’t it?
Merchant: No. It’s a small dog. Balbari dog is tasty.

Captured a proof that small pet dog are being sold!
Could Moran Market be the only place that sells pet dogs as meat?

Animal Rights Organizations in Seoul

In this environment, number of civil complaint calls animal organizations receive each day is in dozens.

Animal Rights Organization: Dog eaters want to think that they are eating only the dogs raised for the purpose of consumption such as yellow dogs or big Korean native dogs. However, when we look at the facts from the slaughterhouses and the markets, all kinds of dogs are being used as meat. They are abandoned dogs from animal shelters, pet dogs sold by their owners, dogs from commercial purebred dog farms that becomes sick or lose their ability to produce puppies.

All these dogs are slaughtered for meat and become our food and that’s the reality.
Scene of dog meat distribution outside of common sense.
Do you know what you are eating?

However, this is not the only inconvenient truth.

M Veterinarian, Seoul, Gangnam-Borough

Test results from the Spitz came back.
Upon reviewing the test results, it was as the vets feared.
His stress index was extremely high and

Veterinarian: This dog has a big problem. External parasites such as fleas and ticks are commonly found in dogs abandoned for awhile and this dog also is infected with these parasites.

However, the big problem is that this dog is infected with a parasite that lives in the blood called “heartworms”.
This Spitz with fatal disease was about to be served as food.

Veterinarian: The treatment is not completed in one try. The medication is administered little by little over time every week and after these treatments, several months later when you determine that the dog is fully recovered, he needs to be retested. If the dog is fully recovered he will be OK. However if the heartworm larva is still present, the treatment process must begin again.

What’s ahead is dozens of antibiotics and medicine injections.

If this dog wasn’t rescued and instead became a meat, what could have happened?

Professior Yong-Geun Ahn (Also known as “Dr. Dogmeat”): Birds have “Avian influenza” and hoof footed animals have “Foot and Mouth Diseases” but dogs don’t have disease that can be transmitted to human.

However, if the dogs are over treated with antibiotics or was a subject of animal testing, then there might be some problem.

Headline “What’s going on in the animal shelter? Dogs killed the day checked in, dog head found…”

Last September, a suspicious incident took place at an animal shelter in Gumi-city.

9/4/2011, Gumi-city Animal Shelter Infiltration

There is a lot of problem here.
Please show us underneath here.
In this animal shelter, dogs slaughtered and cut up in pieces were found in the freezer.

Gumi-city official: We had to select a new shelter operator for 2012. Therefore, at the end of last year we selected a contractor for the abandoned animal shelter operation which excludes Gumi-city Wild Animal Protection Association. Gumi-city Veterinarian Association is selected as the contractor to run the animal shelter starting in 2012. And they are operating the shelter very well right now.

If they realized the seriousness of the abandoned animals distribution problem, would they have made that dangerous choice?

Gumi-city Animal Shelter

Reporter: Is this the animal shelter?
Shelter manager: Yes. This is Gumi-city animal shelter.
Reporter: Did the shelter that used to be in Seonsan moved here?
Shelter manager: No. The shelter in Seonsan is shut down. This is a new shelter contracted with the city to be run by the Gumi-city Veterinarian Association.
Reporter: Since when?
Shelter manager: Starting January 1 of this year.

Abandoned animal’s shelter located right next to the veterinary office.
It looked relatively comfortable and safe.
For abandoned and sick animals, there seems to be no better place than this

Veterinarian/Gumi-city Animal Shelter Director: We bring in about 50 animals. Our estimate was based on 30 animals but it turned out to be about 50. Therefore, the facility is crowded and the people are experiencing inconvenience. So I have asked the city to increase their budget for the shelter. It’s on a revised supplementary budget but the department in charge has a limited authority so that’s the situation right now.

However, how many abandoned dogs are enjoying this kind of luxury?

Animal Rights Organization: If we can find another shelter like the Gumi-city, we will demand a shut-down but so far we are not finding them.

However, what is certain is that less known shelters are secretly selling shelter dogs as meat or sending them away.
That’s because of the cost of taking care of them during the required holding period and the affective criticism about the euthanasia from the society.
In order to avoid these burden, dogs are sent off for adoption to just anybody and in reality these dogs are resold as dog meat or to breeding farms.

Last year, an illegal dog slaughterhouse in Namyangju-city, Gyeonggido-province.
An animal rights organization reported a shocking scene of this slaughterhouse.
Excrement piled up and hardened over the years. Dogs being raised to be eaten in this tragic place.
Atrocious environment where we can’t even tell if this is food for dogs or their body parts.
Dog tails.

Reporter: Slaughterhouse owner is currently not in business. Right?
Namyangju-city official: Right. He is not in business.
Reporter: Have you confirmed it?
Namyangju-city official: Of course. In order to avoid friction with the animal rights organizations and their demands. And in reality, we can’t stop him by force from raising those dogs. It’s outside of our authority. But in order to reduce the friction with the animal rights organizations and because it’s a civil complaint, we have requested to the slaughterhouse owner.

We visited that same dog slaughterhouse.
The reality was different than what the city official told us.
It stinks here. These looks like the evidences of slaughter. It’s all bones.
These are all cleaning detergents. It looks like he was trying to clean up the place.
2 years has passed and the excrement floor has gotten even higher and the environment was just as before.
The only difference was that the dogs’ health condition has seriously deteriorated.
Every dogs were suffering from eye disease that is known to show on sick dogs.
We sent the video of a dog with the most serious condition to a veterinarian.
Dogs that have been neglected for years from illegal dog farms.
What is wrong with their health?

Veterinarian Kim: This dog looks like he is infected with disease with neurological symptoms. Canine distemper is a fatal disease for dogs. It’s known to be infectious with highest fatality. First clinical sign starts with the respiratory system but as it progresses further as you can see in this dog, head is showing “wry neck” symptom (dysmyotonia) to one direction or continuous head trembling. With these symptoms, all other organs, lung, gastrointestinal tract can be dangerous.

We requested a rescue from an animal rights organization.
Would people still be hungry for dog meat after seeing this scene?
If we don’t rush all the dogs could become infected.
There were dogs who has already been infected.
We have to disinfect this completely.
Yes. We brought disinfectant.
Let’s go in.
Barely moved the dog that can’t even stand or walk.
Let’s disinfect again although I have already done it.
Quickly collecting body fluid. However, the state of paralysis.
His condition is serious.
Veterinarian decided there is no option and prepares for a euthanasia.
He looks terrible.
First he is sedated. A little bit later, anesthetic was injected.
There is definitely a problem with eating animals infected with this disease.
Infected muscles and organs can potentially infect people who eats them.

Namyangju-city, Gyeonggido-province

We found the owner who is working at a cornfield nearby.
When we asked if he is the owner of this illegal slaughterhouse? He passively answers, “Yes”.

Owner: My old mother passed away. I have a lot of debt. My only daughter got into an automobile accident about 3 years ago.

He was saying that in order to make money, he had no choice.

Reporter: Where did you sell your dogs at?
Owner: At Moran Market in Seongnam-city. There is plenty of places to sell over there.
Reporter: You were selling your dogs at Moran Market?
Owner: Yes.
Reporter: How about the dogs you slaughter here?
Owner: I don’t slaughter much here.
Reporter: So what do you do with the ones you slaughter here?
Owner: They are sold locally.

Moran Market, Seongnam-city, Gyeonggido-province

This is where the owner said he sold his dogs.
If the merchants here purchased those dogs what could have happened?

Moran Market Merchant Association Representative: People watch TV programs and they ask us about it and even our members who watched the program said they have seen the story about this slaughterhouse in Gyeonggido that distributes sick dogs, abandoned dogs.

That’s because they are operating in the shade, it’s possible to have negative effects.

Y.J. Chun (63 years old): As a business owner myself, I don’t even know what to say. They shouldn’t be doing that kind of business.

S.J. Bae(62 years old): I can’t eat that. Of course not. Dog meat is eaten to be healthy.

E.M. Hong(60 years old): We are eating these dog meats and it’s not possible for us to know what we are eating.

They kill animals like that and wish for the prosperity of their descendents. That’s thieves’ greedy mind.

You people who cares about dogs! Why don’t you be good to your parents instead?

As long as people who eat dog meat exist, the dispute regarding the dog meat probably won’t end.

Indeed, how can we resolve this issue so that our food supply is safe?

Professor Yong Geun Ahn (also known as “Dr. Dogmeat”)

The solution is simple. Just classify dogs as livestock in the “Livestock Product Sanitary Control Act”. Because the dogs not slaughtered can’t be distributed nor sold.

Animal Rights Organization

When you look at the breeding and slaughtering condition of the legal livestocks such as pigs, cows, chickens, it is very poor, dirty and inhumane. In this environment, adding companion animals such as dogs to the classification of livestock and inhumanely slaughter them. It’s time that we ask ourselves if this is the direction that we want our society to move towards?

Then what is the position of the government?

Korea Food and Drug Administration(KFDA)

Reporter: We are reporting about dog meat. Can you direct us to the department that handles this issue?
KFDA: We don’t manage by specific food type. So there is no department that handles that.
Reporter: Then regarding the slaughtering..
KFDA: You have to ask Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for slaughtering issue. However if you were to ask them, you will get a response saying that dogs are not livestock used for meat.

Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries(MFAFF)

MFAFF: Dog has to be classified as a livestock in order for there to be a department in charge. There is no regulation regarding the approval of slaughter and the method. Dog meat does not fall under the “Livestock Product Sanitary Control Act”. Therefore it is difficult to regulate.

Dog meat issue left in the legal blind spot for the reason there is no base for punishment between the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Korea Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Whengsung Cow Market, Whengsung, Gangwondo-province

Then how is the case for the livestock that is managed by the “Livestock Product Sanitary Control Act”?
We examined the cow’s distribution tracking system.

Whengsung Cow Market Representative: Cow identification record system tracks cow’s birth, slaughter, sale, processing by the number attached to their ear. When a problem arise, we can track it. It’s a safety device. If you compare it to human, it’s just like social security number.

OO Korean beef, Paju-city, Gyeonggido-province

Cow identification record system that started test implementation in 2004 has been around for 8 years now.
Consumers can find out where it was born, where it was raised and who raised it.

OO Korean beef owner, C.H. Kyung

Using the barcode number, identification is provided for 100% just like people’s social security number.
So using the Smartphone, consumers can scan the barcode and find out the shipper, origin, farming method, slaughter date and even the location.

OO Dog Meat Restaurant, Anyang-city, Gyeonggido-province

Dog meat identification record system. Can this work?
We visited a dog meat restaurant in Gyeonggido-province.
They offered to show where their dogs are raised if their customers wanted to see.
Customers also wanted to express their opinions about dog meat consumption.

Customer, C.M. Park: If we raise dogs like the pigs in sanitary conditions there is no problem with eating dogs.
So if we just improve the problems in the dog farms and make it clean then there is no problem with eating dogs.
If anything, we should explore the opportunities to export dog meat to other countries. Problems in the distribution and processing has a room for improvement.

This dog meat restaurant’s marketing strategy was to open their dog farm to the public.

Allowing restaurant customers to see with transparency the dog farm’s sanitation and whether or not the dogs have disease.

OO Dog meat restaurant owner, S.M. Jang

I think dogs, cows and pigs are all the same. Therefore, we raise and slaughters dogs with the same method as cows and pigs. This has to be legalized in order for us to operate rightfully. We pay the taxes accurately and run our business. We want to be fairly assessed for our cleanliness. We really want a chance to promote the dog meat’s effectiveness and the superiority to our customers.

Dog meat consumption legalization law has been submitted twice. But it was abandoned both times.

Former member of the National Assembly, S.C. Song

Government has the responsibility to protect the health of its citizens and bad practices must be corrected. Also even if it is wanted by a minority, it needs to be legislated and legalized. Leaving what the citizens are doing as illegal is the fault of the nation.

Headline “Dogs on the ground with fur removed…boiled in a pot immediately after slaughter”

Meanwhile, last month another case broke out at a hillside of Ilsan, Gyeonggido-province.

What could have happened?

OO Farm/Slaughterhouse, Goyang-city, Gyeonggido-province

This time the police in this jurisdiction reported this case.

Police: Stay where you are.
Police: Pull the blood vessel here. You pulled out the blood vessel. Pull it out.

During the processing of slaughtering, water was injected into the blood vessel in order to inflate the weight of the dogs.

Police: Where is the entrance? Is this the blood vessel?
Worker: Yes.
Police: You did that to all the dogs. Didn’t you?
Worker: We electrocuted the dog and upon customer’s request we drained the blood from the dog. We injected the water in order to drain the blood and why would anyone report this? Everyone does this. You can check any slaughterhouses in the country.

Number of dogs they slaughtered and inflated weight is 730.
Police was dispatched for the crime of taking unfair profit of 210,000K KRW ($185K USD).
Violation of law related to the water quality and aquatic ecosystem conservation and fraud charge.
How was the case handled? 2 days after the case broke out, we revisited the scene of crime.
Sure enough. Smoke is rising from the chimney.
We went inside.
As expected, something is boiling in the iron cauldrons.
We asked what they were boiling.

Worker: We are making meat broth.
Reporter: Dogs are used for meat broth too?
Worker: In order to make dog meat soup, you have to boil them first.

Talking gibberish saying he is making meat broth.
Inside we found that water hose (used for injecting water into blood vessel) and a dog trapped in a cage.
His claim that he removed all the dogs was a lie.
After being fined, they have resumed their operation.

OO Slaughterhouse Worker: The owner knows about the injecting water into the dogs. We get into trouble if we say the wrong thing to the owner. We just did what was told. That’s the extent of our involvement. If you want to know more about the practice of injecting water, go visit other slaughterhouses.

Reporter: Is there other slaughterhouses in this area?
Worker: Yes. They are everywhere. Wondang,…etc. Do you think we are the only one injecting water into dogs? That’s not true. Go anywhere! Go visit Moran Market in Seongnam-city!

Ilsandong -Borough Office

Reporter: I need to ask some questions. This is TV Chosun. I want to ask about the slaughterhouse dog water injection case in Seongsukdong. We visited there to check and they have openly resumed their operation.
Ilsandong-Borough: We can’t crack down on the case because the dog meat punishment law is in the legal blind spot. Therefore, my understanding is that we processed that case as the violation of waste water.
Reporter: Is there any way to impose sanctions?
Ilsandog-Borough: It’s in the legal blind spot. So it is the Korean lawmakers’ job. We can only carry out the law. Enforcing the law has to be concrete and we have to argue accurately based on the situation. Because we have to punish them and Korea is a constitutional nation.

People who didn’t want to know what environment the dogs lived, what diseases they suffered and through what process they ended up on our table.

That’s because the truth about the dog meat is extremely inconvenient.

Veterinarian H.S. Kim: There is a pros and cons debate about dog meat consumption between the pet owners and the non-pet owners. However, I think the most important issue is the fundamental concern for the lives that live and commune together with us. This is the main issue about the companion animals and our food culture.

While we are chasing the status of dogs left in the legal blind spot, our health is being threatened as ever.

Is our hope for a happy food supply still just a dream?