Closing South Korea’s dog meat farms

Puppies await their fate on Farm 15.

I was invited by Humane Society International, to join their campaigning against the South Korean dog meat trade. In the Summer 2019, I visited Farm 15 with them. Check my photos on this page!

For the past years, HSI has made incredible progress in South Korea, supporting local animal activists in their fight against a dying practice. Here is some background info on the work HSI has been doing:

In South Korea, dogs are intensively farmed for human consumption. They are given little food, usually no water, and live outdoors in small cages with no protection from the hot summers or brutally cold winters. Many suffer from disease and malnutrition and all are subjected to daily, extreme neglect. The methods used to kill the dogs are very cruel—electrocution is most common.

While the majority of South Koreans don’t routinely eat dog meat, the “right” for others to do so is still strongly felt. Dog meat is mostly eaten by older, male citizens who have the misguided belief that it is beneficial for health when consumed either as a soup called “boshintang”—which is believed by some to invigorate the blood and reduce lethargy—or as a tonic (gaesoju), which is sold in traditional medicine shops. Dog meat is particularly popular during the summer months, especially during “bok nal”—the three hottest days between July and August when 70 to 80 percent of the dog meat is consumed.

Closing dog meat farms

A farmer assists the HSI’s team in preparation of the closure of his farm. Moving forward, he has decided to freelance on construction sites.

Since 2015, HSI has worked on the ground in South Korea to shut down more than a dozen farms and rescued nearly 2000 dogs who have found loving homes in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and the Netherlands. However, these farm closures are only a small part of HSI’s strategic and ambitious program to phase out dog meat farming in South Korea.

HSI works collaboratively with dog meat farmers who wish to leave the controversial industry but don’t have the means to stop. They don’t simply buy the dogs, leaving empty cages to be filled again. HSI signs a legally binding contract with each farmer to permanently shut down each farm and transition the dog meat farmer to a more profitable—and humane—business model, such as medicinal herb farming, water parsley farming, or blueberry farming. HSI’s working model for change helps demonstrate to the South Korean government that the dog meat industry can be phased out in cooperation, rather than conflict, with dog meat farmers.

The HSI team bring crates to transport puppies off Farm 15, in preparation for its closure.

HSI’s broader campaign

HSI’s goal is a ban on the consumption of dog meat and the cruel industry which supplies the dogs within the next 10 years. They work on the ground with local organizations and activists to create culturally sensitive solutions that will change public perceptions and influence policy makers in favor of reform. Dog meat farm closures are part of HSI’s strategy to facilitate the political and societal circumstances to make this possible.

Many people in South Korea love and keep pet dogs. However, there is a misconception that “meat dogs” are different from “pet dogs.” HSI campaign to show the public that all dogs suffer the same and are deserving of love. Another goal of their campaign is to encourage pet adoption. Currently, the few shelters in South Korea are overcrowded. Pet adoption is uncommon, particularly of large dogs, and older dogs are often discarded on farms since there are no shelters to take them.

Progress/An industry in decline

These dog farm closures demonstrate that there is a willingness within the industry to phase out this trade. HSI works with two leading Korean groups, Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA) and Korean Animal Welfare Association (KAWA). Together, they have helped close some of the country’s largest dog slaughterhouses and dog meat markets.

According to the Korea Times “Fewer people in Seoul are eating dog as nearly 40 percent of the restaurants selling dog meat have closed over the last 10 years.” A survey by Gallup Korea conducted in June 2018 shows that 70% of South Koreans say they will not eat dog meat in future.

A growing number of South Korean animal rights activists are dedicated to ending the dog meat trade. Local authorities are cracking down on the industry, and new legislation applied stricter health and safety requirements on the dog farms. At a higher level, the Supreme Court concluded that killing dogs by the common method of electrocution breaches animal welfare law, and the President’s Blue House pledged to consider removing dogs and cats from the legal definition of livestock. Change is taking place in South Korea like never before and HSI is proud to work alongside their Korean partners to support their work in developing practical, culturally sensitive solutions to animal welfare concerns.

This article has been republished from Humane Society International. To read more about HSI’s efforts to end the Asian dog meat trade, and to learn about ways you can support their work, visit their website.