Urge China to end the animal welfare and public health nightmare of Yulin’s dog and cat meat trade
Humane Society International / China
Issue Type: Dog Meat Trade
Portraits include dogs adopted by actor Daniel Henney and Olympic medalist Gus Kenworthy
Humane Society International / United States
Celebrities including Daniel Henney, Monica Lewinsky and Joely Fisher joined Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States in Los Angeles for an exclusive debut of a stunning portrait collection by award-winning photographer Sophie Gamand, of dogs rescued by HSI from South Korea’s dog meat trade.
The launch of dog portraits—including Juliette, adopted by Wheel of Time actor Daniel Henney, and Birdie, adopted by Olympic medalist Gus Kenworthy—took place at a private cocktail party hosted at the Hollywood Hills residence of film producer James Costa. Guests enjoyed cocktails and plant-based hors d’oeuvres while enjoying an early peek at a specially curated gallery of Sophie’s captivating portraits.
The collaboration between global animal advocates Humane Society International and award-winning photographer Sophie Gamand—whose photo series Pit Bull Flower Power was instrumental in transforming the public image of pit bulls seeking adoption at U.S. shelters—evolved as part of HSI’s work in South Korea to end the brutal dog meat industry. It is estimated that more than one million dogs a year in South Korea are intensively bred for human consumption. Despite increasing Korean opposition to dog eating, unfounded negative perceptions persist of ‘dog meat dogs’ as soulless and vicious. HSI invited Sophie to help showcase the resilience, beauty and individuality of these dogs, rebranding them as the true survivors that they are, having been rescued by HSI to become part of loving families in the United States.
During this inspiring evening, guests were introduced to HSI’s Models for Change program in which the organization works cooperatively with dog meat farmers to help them close their farms and transition to more humane and sustainable livelihoods such as chili plant or parsley growing. They also heard from Sophie about her experience joining HSI on one of HSI’s dog meat farm rescue missions, and the emotional impact of seeing the dogs in such desperate circumstances.
The Dog Meat Survivors portrait collection will be available for public view at Hamilton-Selway Fine Art, 8678 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, California. The ten-day exhibit opens on Thursday, June 2.
“From the moment the team at Humane Society International and I started discussing ideas for this series, I knew I wanted people to see these dogs for the resilient, strong, beautiful beings that they are. I created handmade collars for these survivors, because dog collars are a powerful symbol of love, commitment and care,” said Gamand.
“HSI’s campaign is focused on ending the dog meat industry in South Korea, the only country in the world that intensively farms dogs for consumption, and we’re making incredible progress. The real goal is to get a ban passed that will end this industry forever so that no more dogs have to suffer,” Jeff Flocken, president of Humane Society International.
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Media Contact: Madeline Bove: 213-248-1548; mbove@humanesociety.org
Humane Society International / Indonesia
It’s time for the Indonesian government to close dog and cat meat markets, enforce the law and put an end to these cruel trades.
Humane Society International/Korea says taskforce is vital to “close this miserable chapter in South Korea’s history”
Humane Society International
SEOUL—The South Korean government taskforce deliberating a ban on the country’s dog meat industry has announced a delay of two months in publishing its recommendations. Humane Society International/Korea, which has rescued more than 2,500 dogs from South Korea’s dog meat industry, says opinion polls show public support for ending the industry, with nearly 84% of South Koreans not eating dog, and almost 60% favoring a ban.
Lola Webber, Humane Society International’s End Dog Meat campaign director, says: “With more than one million dogs a year needlessly suffering for a meat that hardly anyone eats, and with so many dog farmers struggling to make a living in light of dwindling consumer demand, we hope that the taskforce will deliver a bold plan to close this miserable chapter in South Korea’s history. As a candidate, President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol pledged support for ending dog meat provided there is social consensus, and opinion polls show we’ve reached a tipping point in public opinion, so we hope to see that momentum for change reflected when the taskforce makes its recommendations.”
The taskforce was established last year to assess social consensus after President Moon Jae-in suggested the time is right to consider a ban. President-elect Yoon has three cats and four dogs, including Tori the rescued Jindo, a breed typically found on dog meat farms.
Since 2015, HSI/Korea’s Models for Change program has helped dog farmers in South Korea transition to new, more humane and profitable livelihoods such as chili plant and parsley growing or water truck delivery. Most of the farmers involved experience mounting societal, family and financial pressure to get out of farming dogs. With growing concern for animal welfare, and over six million pet dogs now living in Korean homes, demand for dog meat has dwindled. HSI/Korea has permanently closed 17 dog meat farms and rescued more than 2,500 dogs who find adoptive homes in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom with a small number rehomed in South Korea.
Dog meat facts:
- Although most people in South Korea don’t eat dog, the belief that dog meat soup will cool the body and build stamina during the hot summer, particularly during Bok Nal season across July and August, still holds with some, especially the older generation.
- Most dogs slaughtered for meat in South Korea are killed by electrocution although some are also hanged.
- Dog meat is banned (with varying degrees of enforcement) in Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, India, Thailand and Singapore, as well as the cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai in mainland China and Siem Reap province in Cambodia. In Indonesia, 14 cities, regions or regencies have banned dog meat: Karanganyar, Sukohrajo, Salatiga city, Malang, Semarang city, Semarang Regency, Blora Regency, Brebes Regency, Purbalingga Regency, Magelang city, Jepara, Blitar city, Mojokerto city and Mojokerto Regency. Despite these growing bans, an estimated 30 million dogs a year are still killed for meat across Asia.
Download photos/video of HSI/Korea’s dog meat farm closure program in action.
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Media contact: Wendy Higgins, director international media: whiggins@hsi.org
Humane Society International / Indonesia
CENTRAL JAVA, Indonesia—A dog trafficker in Indonesia involved in the supply and slaughter of dogs for human consumption has been found guilty of breaking the law and sentenced to a record 17 months in jail. Despite a national government declaration that dogs are not considered food in Indonesia, this is only the country’s second conviction of a dog trafficker. Campaigners from the Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition, which includes Humane Society International, hope it signals a new determination by the authorities to crack down on the cruel and dangerous trade.
The conviction of Guruh Tri Susilo follows a police interception last year of a truck carrying more than 50 terrified dogs as they arrived at a makeshift slaughterhouse in Sukoharjo. The owner of the slaughterhouse is awaiting trial, with a sentence reading expected at the end of April. The dogs had been trafficked from West Java on a grueling 365-mile journey, for which Guruh was found guilty of breaking Law 18 of 2009 chapter 89 regarding animal health and husbandry. The trade within which Guruh worked saw pet and roaming dogs stolen from the streets in West Java to meet demand in dog meat eating hotspots in Central Java. One such hotspot is the city of Solo where DMFI investigations in 2019 revealed that 13,700 dogs are slaughtered for meat each month.
Campaigners from DMFI, who attended the police interception at the slaughterhouse and took all surviving dogs into their care, welcomed the conviction for sending the strongest signal yet to dog traders across Indonesia that the dog meat business is illegal and will be punished. DMFI has been campaigning for years for a nationwide ban on the dangerous and illegal trade, slaughter and sale of dogs for human consumption.
Karin Franken, co-founder of Jakarta Animal Aid Network and national DMFI coordinator, said: “The DMFI applauds the authorities for bringing this case against Guruh to send a message to others operating in this illegal trade that they will be found and punished. However, for the law to truly act as a deterrent, we need longer jail times and for that we need a clear, unambiguous and strong nationwide ban on the dog meat trade so that prosecutors and judges can take the strongest possible action. We have raised these concerns with the Ministry of Agriculture and called for the revision of these laws so that people convicted of cases of animal cruelty like this one get the punishment they deserve to reflect the enormous suffering and harm as a result of their actions.”
Nationwide opinion polls conducted by Nielsen and commissioned by DMFI show that only a small minority of Indonesians (4.5%) ever consume dog meat, and 93% of all Indonesians support a ban. Despite this, over one million dogs are still illegally stolen, trafficked, slaughtered and sold for human consumption every year across Indonesia. Without a nationwide ban, the relevant laws and regulations that can be applied have weak penalties, and enforcement is rare, which enables the traders to continue to operate. DMFI campaigners warn that without stronger action at the local and national level, this cruel, profit-driven trade will continue to jeopardise not only the country’s international reputation, but also the health and safety of the entire country.
Lola Webber, director of campaigns to end dog meat for Humane Society International, a DMFI member group, said: “Seventeen months in an Indonesian jail is quite rightly going to be an unpleasant experience and it’s a groundbreaking sentence for such a crime in Indonesia. However, it pales into insignificance compared to the horrific brutality meted out to the thousands of dogs who will have died as a result of this trafficker’s actions. Neither does it reflect the enormous public health threat posed by the mass trafficking of dogs of unknown disease and vaccination status, undermining attempts to control rabies which is endemic across most of the country. We know that rabies-positive dogs are being brought into urban centres for this trade, and with so many dogs snatched from one area and trafficked to another hundreds of miles away, those agencies working hard to create vital herd immunity to rabies in local dog populations are fighting a losing battle. Only eight provinces in Indonesia hold rabies-free status, so without immediate and strong action, it is only a matter of time before more provinces face this deadly disease.”
In recognition of the grave risks to animal welfare and public health and safety, an ever-growing number of cities and regencies in Central Java have taken the matter into their own hands passing local regulations explicitly prohibiting the dog meat trade throughout their jurisdictions, including Sukoharjo and the Central Javan provincial capital of Semarang. Campaigners hope that this case will shine a light on the dog meat trade and encourage central, provincial, regency and city leaders to take stronger action,
Dog meat trade facts:
- There are widely publicised reports directly linking the dog meat trade to rabies transmission in many parts of Asia where the dog meat trade operates, including Indonesia. Scientific reports have documented rabies-positive dogs being sold and slaughtered in markets in Indonesia, as well as in restaurants and slaughterhouses in China and Viet Nam.
- Dog theft for the meat trade is a serious problem in Indonesia. Dog Meat Free Indonesia has interviewed many residents who have described their terrifying ordeal with armed traders stealing their pets at night. Despite the obvious law-breaking, thefts are rarely taken seriously by law enforcement, so the thieves often go unpunished.
- Across Asia, opposition to the dog and cat meat trades is increasing, with an ever-growing number of countries and territories (Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand and two major cities in mainland China) banning the trade in and slaughter, sale and consumption of dogs. In September 2021, South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in suggested it could be time to consider a dog meat ban, and a government-initiated task force is currently considering the issue. President Elect Yoon Suk-yeol has also stated he would not oppose a dog meat ban provided there is social consensus.
- The Dog Meat Free Indonesia campaign comprises Humane Society International, Animals Asia, FOUR PAWS, Animal Friends Jogja and Jakarta Animal Aid Network. Their campaign has received support from global and Indonesian superstars including a letter to President Joko Widodo in 2018 calling for action to end the country’s dog and cat meat trades signed by Simon Cowell, Sophia Latjuba, Yeslin Wang, Nadia Mulya, Lawrence Enzela, Cameron Diaz, Chelsea Islan, Ellen DeGeneres and Pierce Brosnan.
Download Photos and Videos of the Police Interception
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Media Contacts:
- Lola Webber, Humane Society International’s End Dog Meat campaign director and Dog Meat Free Indonesia international coordinator: +6281337408768; Lwebber@hsi.org
- Karin Franken, national coordinator Dog Meat Free Indonesia Coalition: +6282122487794; jaan_adopt@yahoo.com
Pups starving and dehydrated, some already dead on “truck from hell”
Humane Society International
Dalian, CHINA—Chinese animal activists worked through the night with local police in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui to intercept a truck packed with 260 puppies and 22 adult dogs in such appalling conditions that one activist called it a “truck from hell.” The driver of the truck had taken the dogs—all destined to be sold for the meat or pet trade—on a gruelling 1,000 mile journey from Guizhou to Huainan before it was spotted on the highway by local activists. One activist called Teng, an anti-dog meat trade campaign volunteer for Humane Society International and its Chinese partner group, Vshine, quickly responded by alerting the police and coordinating local activists for a rescue effort.
When Teng reported the suspected illegal transport of live animals, the local police immediately despatched law enforcement officers to intercept the truck, forcing it to pull over on the side of the road. Teng reported that when the truck driver couldn’t provide the required documents to legally transport live animals across provincial borders, the dogs were confiscated into government custody where the activists were allowed to provide emergency care. The adult dogs had been due to be sold to a slaughterhouse for human consumption, while the puppies were intended to be sold as pets, although many were so sick by the time they were rescued they likely would also have ended up at the slaughterhouse.
Sadly, conditions were so dire that 12 of the puppies had died by the time the truck was intercepted, and a further 18 died soon after from parvovirus and distemper, both highly contagious diseases that cause severe illness and possible death in dogs. Many of the surviving puppies are suffering from dehydration, starvation and skin disease. One puppy in particular was covered in a painful skin condition leading to hair loss. He was in such a pitiful state, he immediately captured Teng’s heart and he offered to adopt him if he survived. The puppy—who he named Apple—was given emergency veterinary treatment but despite best efforts, he sadly passed away.
Teng said: “My heart sank when I spotted the truck on the highway that night. I knew it was going to be bad because there were so many dogs crammed inside, but I hadn’t expected there to be so many tiny puppies. They were all crying for our attention, covered in their own urine and faeces, and in really bad shape. It was disgusting what they endured, like a truck from hell for those poor dogs. I noticed little Apple right away because he had lost so much fur, and my heart just melted. I wanted to do everything I could to make it up to him so that he could forget his horrible ordeal, but his suffering had just been too much. I dread to think what would have happened to them all, and I’m so sad for all the ones like Apple who didn’t make it. We are grateful to the Huainan police who acted so swiftly to help save these dogs. We couldn’t have done it without them.”
The remaining dogs are now safe, receiving veterinary care, nutritious food, water and rest at nearby shelters. Once their quarantine period is over, they will be transported to Vshine’s shelter, which is funded by Humane Society International. The rescue comes just three months ahead of the mass slaughter of dogs and cats in Yulin, and is a timely reminder that suffering and death at the hands of the dog meat traders is the fate of millions of animals across China every year.
Dr Peter Li, HSI’s China policy specialist said: “This sad story is all too common in China, where hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats every month endure appalling suffering like this in order to make profit for the meat and pet trades. Chinese animal activists regularly alert police when trucks are identified, and in this case the Huainan police were exemplary in how they responded. It is my hope that more law enforcement agencies in China can act in the interests of public safety, public health and animal welfare like the Huainan police. The condition of these dogs was so terrible that it’s likely many more would have died before they reached their intended destination, and sickly puppies would probably have been sold for meat just like the adult dogs. Thank goodness for the Chinese animal activists and police who saved so many lives, and we are proud that that funding HSI provides can make such a difference to animals like this in such desperate circumstances.”
Facts about China’s dog meat trade:
- Most people in China don’t eat dogs, in fact dog meat is only eaten infrequently by a small percentage of the Chinese population. A 2016 survey found that more than half of Chinese citizens (51.7%) think the dog meat trade should be completely banned, and the majority (69.5%) have never eaten dog meat. (Poll conducted by Chinese polling company Horizon, and commissioned by Chinese group China Animal Welfare Association in collaboration with Humane Society International and Avaaz).
- Even in Yulin (where the so-called dog meat “festival” takes place in June every year), a 2017 survey conducted by Chinese state-registered charities and assisted by research staff from the Yulin Municipal Government, shows that most people (72%) don’t regularly eat dog despite efforts by dog meat traders to promote it.
- In 2020, China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs made an official statement that dogs are companion animals and not “livestock” for eating, and two major cities in mainland China—Shenzhen and Zhuhai—banned the consumption of dog and cat meat.
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Media contact: Wendy Higgins, director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org
Humane Society International / Indonesia
Ask the Indonesian government to shut down cruel markets, enforce the law and put an end to the dog and cat meat trades.
New video exposes thieves stealing and bludgeoning terrified dogs; dogs sold for meat alongside bats, snakes and wild boar in Sulawesi wet markets
Humane Society International / Indonesia
Indonesia President Joko Widodo and local leaders are facing pressure to shut down the country’s criminal dog meat trade after sickening new video released by the Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition—of which Humane Society International is a member—revealed horrific animal cruelty and public health risks at wet markets on the island of Sulawesi. Dog and cat meat is seen being sold at the markets, which sell meat, produce and other perishable items, alongside bush-meat including meat from bats, snakes and wild boar in scenes similar to those found in Wuhan, China where the SARS-CoV-2 virus is believed to have originated.
Across Indonesia, an estimated 1 million dogs are killed for their meat annually. While a crackdown on the trade is being seen in parts of Indonesia, authorities in Sulawesi—a 70,000 square mile island with a population of nearly 20 million people—have failed to act.
An investigator for DMFI infiltrated criminal gangs and traders who steal at least 4,500 pets and roaming dogs every month from villages in South Sulawesi. The shocking and disturbing undercover video shows traffickers hoisting terrified and screaming dogs by the neck from an underground pit as they are repeatedly bludgeoned across the face and head. Other scenes at the markets show cages of dogs huddling together as nearby lifeless bodies of other dogs—some still alive—are blowtorched to remove their fur for sale to customers. Next, the meat is sold to local restaurants and at wet markets. Some dogs are trafficked from as far away as Makassar, South Sulawesi’s capital, a 40-hour gruelling journey covering 1,000 miles.
Lola Webber, End Dog Meat campaigns director for Humane Society International, a DMFI member group, said: “This is some of the worst animal cruelty we have seen—gangs and traders stealing and bludgeoning thousands of terrified, screaming dogs every month from villages. Many of them are beloved family companions. They are torn away and abused by these criminals in broad daylight, scared and helpless. All of this to be sold for their meat in restaurants and at wet markets on display alongside bats, snakes and wild boar. Despite the serious public health risks associated with these markets, Sulawesi’s roughly 200 traditional markets are still operating business as usual. With Indonesia still in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is a matter of urgency that President Widodo take action immediately to stop this dangerous and illegal trade.”
The DMFI investigator, who is not being named for his own protection, said: “The scale of the dog meat trade was really surprising. Thieves are stealing dogs from all over the island before selling them to the traders who warehouse them until they have enough to sell on. Mentally, this was a harrowing mission because every day I could see how utterly terrified and traumatized these poor dogs were. All around them they witness other dogs being dragged by the neck, beaten over the head, thrown around violently. They would tremble in fear when approached. Like me, the vast majority of Indonesians will be sickened by what I saw. This trade brings shame on Indonesia.”
DMFI—which comprises local campaigners Jakarta Animal Aid Network and Animals Friends Jogja, and international groups Humane Society International, Four Paws and Animals Asia—is now seeking urgent meetings with the provincial and city authorities in Tomohon, Manado, Minahasa and Makassar to call for urgent action. The coalition of animal groups already works successfully with police and local governments in multiple other regions to crack down on the trade. In November 2021 DMFI joined Sukoharjo police in Java on a sting operation at an illegal dog slaughterhouse that saw more than 50 dogs rescued.
At least eight national laws and regulations exist that, if enforced, would serve to prohibit the dog meat trade, and thus far five regions in have passed explicit bans on the dog meat trade. Karanganyar passed a ban in 2019. Sukohrajo and Salatiga City passed bans in 2021. Semarang, which is the provincial capital of Central Java, passed a ban earlier this year. DMFI now invites the Sulawesi authorities to follow suit.
Dog meat trade facts:
- Although demand for dog meat is higher in Sulawesi than the rest of Indonesia, latest opinion polling by Nielsen (2021) confirms that only 6% of Sulawesians consume dogs.
- Dog meat is mostly eaten by certain ethnic groups such as the Minahasa people of North Sulawesi where there are 24 markets collectively selling around 360 live and slaughtered dogs per day, amounting to more than 130,000 dogs every year.
- Dog meat is not an expensive delicacy; a dish containing dog meat can be bought at market for around 25,000 – 35,000 IDR which is roughly $2US, the same price as a cup of coffee.
- In 2018 President Joko Widodo received a letter from DMFI calling for action. It was signed by more than 90 national and international celebrities including Simon Cowell, Sophia Latjuba, Yeslin Wang, Nadia Mulya, Lawrence Enzela, Cameron Diaz, Chelsea Islan, Ellen DeGeneres and Pierce Brosnan.
- Across Asia, opposition to the dog and cat meat trades is increasing, with an ever-growing number of countries and territories (Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand and two major cities in mainland China) banning the trade in and slaughter, sale and consumption of dogs. In South Korea, a task force has been set up by the government to discuss a dog meat ban following a suggestion by President Moon Jae-in.
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Media contact: Melissa Smith: 231-360-7676; mmsmith@humanesociety.org
Humane Society International
SEOUL—Animal groups in South Korea are urging the newly elected president Yoon Seok-yeol to act swiftly on his pre-election pledge to tackle the dog meat industry. Among them, Seoul-based animal protection group Humane Society International/Korea says Yoon’s election must herald “an historic opportunity to consign the dog meat industry to South Korea’s history books.”
Yoon Seok-yeol of the People Power party, has made several statements confirming his support for a ban on dog meat providing there is social consensus. A 2020 opinion poll commissioned by HSI/Korea and conducted by Nielsen demonstrates such consensus, with nearly 84% of South Koreans saying they don’t or won’t eat dog, and almost 60% supporting a legislative ban on the trade.
During the 20th presidential election campaign, Yoon was criticised for expressing an often-repeated but baseless claim by the dog meat industry that dogs raised for meat are different from pet dogs. But he later clarified that he is personally opposed to eating dogs and would progress a phase-out plan as soon as possible as long as such an action has Korean society’s support, which polling suggests is the case.
HSI/Korea has rescued more than 2,500 dogs from South Korean dog meat farms since 2015 and permanently closed 17 dog farms in co-operation with farmers eager to exit the dying industry. Nara Kim, HSI/Korea’s dog meat campaign manager, says: “The election of Yoon Seok-yeol as South Korea’s new president presents our country with an historic opportunity to consign the dog meat industry to South Korea’s history books where it belongs. More than one million dogs a year—from small dachshunds to large tosas—are needlessly suffering on miserable dog meat farms just to be killed for soup. With changing perceptions of dogs as family members, social consensus in favour of a dog meat ban is now beyond doubt so HSI/Korea stands ready to work with the new president to put his pledge into action. Factory farming dogs for eating must become a thing of the past as soon as possible.”
In December last year, the South Korean government set up a cross-ministerial task force to consider a ban on the dog meat industry, following a suggestion by the then President, Moon Jae-in. The task force, comprising of four ministries, as well as academic, dog meat industry and animal welfare stakeholders, is expected to make recommendations in April this year, and Seoul city municipal council is also due to vote on a proposed bill calling for the mayor to ban the consumption of dog meat citywide.
Facts:
- HSI/Korea helps farmers transition to new, more humane and profitable livelihoods such as chili plant growing or water truck delivery. Most of the farmers with whom HSI/Korea has worked experience mounting societal, family and financial pressure to get out of farming dogs. With growing concern for animal welfare, and over six million pet dogs now living in Korean homes, demand for dog meat has dwindled.
- Although most people in South Korea don’t eat dog, the belief that dog meat soup will cool the body during the hot summer and build stamina still holds with some, particularly the older generation.
- In South Korea up to 1.5 million dogs a year are raised on thousands of farms across the country. Many of them are sold to butchers for Bok Nal season across July and August, to be killed by electrocution and sold for soup.*
- Dog meat is banned in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, as well as in the cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai in mainland China, Siem Reap province in Cambodia, and five cities and regencies in Indonesia. An estimated 30 million dogs a year are still killed for meat in other parts of Asia.
Download photos/video of HSI/Korea’s dog meat farm closure program in action.
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Media contacts:
- South Korea: Nara Kim, dog meat campaign manager: nkim@hsi.org
- United Kingdom: Wendy Higgins, director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org
*Since publication of this press release and progress towards the decline of the dog meat industry in South Korea, current estimates suggest that up to 1 million dogs are reared on dog meat farms in the country.
Humane Society International
SEOUL —Humane Society International/Korea is encouraged to see reports that Yang Min-gyu, a Seoul city municipal council member, has proposed a bill calling on Seoul’s mayor to create a city-wide plan to ban the consumption of dog meat and promote a dog-friendly culture in Seoul.
Nara Kim, dog meat campaign manager for Humane Society International/Korea said: “We welcome Seoul city’s proposed bill calling on the mayor to devise a plan to prohibit dog meat consumption, and its explicit recognition that all dogs are cherished family members who must be protected from the inherently cruel dog meat industry. As pet ownership rises exponentially in South Korea, so must our responsibilities to protect them from cruelty and exploitation. This proposed bill sends a powerful message to the national government just as its own task force gathers to deliberate a nationwide dog meat ban. We hope that a ban in Seoul will pave the way for an end to the brutal dog meat industry across the country, in line with public sentiment and national and global trends.”
The proposed bill calls upon the mayor of Seoul to chart a course to ban dog meat eating and to promote a city-wide culture of dog welfare. As dog meat consumption and trade is not explicitly prohibited in South Korean national law, the municipal action is needed. According to research by Nielson Company Korea commissioned by HSI/Korea, Seoul has an estimated 436 dog meat restaurants in 2020.
In November 2021, the South Korean government announced its plan to set up a task force to consider a ban on the eating of dog meat. The joint announcement by government ministries came after President Moon Jae-in suggested the time is right to consider a ban. The task force is expected to make recommendations on next steps in April this year.
Since 2015 HSI/Korea has rescued more than 2,500 dogs from South Korean dog meat farms and permanently closed 17 dog farms in co-operation with farmers eager to exit the controversial and dying industry.
Facts:
- HSI/Korea helps farmers transition to new, more humane and profitable livelihoods such as chili plant growing or water truck delivery. Most of the farmers with whom HSI/Korea has worked experience mounting societal, family and financial pressure to get out of farming dogs. With growing concern for animal welfare, and over six million pet dogs now living in Korean homes, demand for dog meat has dwindled.
- A 2020 opinion poll commissioned by HSI/Korea and conducted by Nielsen shows growing support for a ban on the dog meat trade, with nearly 84% of South Koreans saying they don’t or won’t eat dog, and almost 60% supporting a legislative ban on the trade.
- Although most people in South Korea don’t eat dog, the belief that dog meat soup will cool the body during the hot summer and build stamina still holds with some, particularly the older generation.
- In South Korea up to 1.5 million dogs a year are raised on thousands of farms across the country. Many of them are sold to butchers for Bok Nal season across July and August, to be killed by electrocution and sold for soup.*
- Dog meat is banned in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore, as well as the cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai in mainland China, and Siem Reap province in Cambodia. An estimated 30 million dogs a year are still killed for meat in other parts of Asia.
Download photos/video of HSI/Korea’s dog meat farm closure program in action.
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Media contacts:
· South Korea: Nara Kim, nkim@hsi.org
· USA: Melissa Smith, mmsmith@humanesociety.org
*Since publication of this press release and progress towards the decline of the dog meat industry in South Korea, current estimates suggest that up to 1 million dogs are reared on dog meat farms in the country.