South Korea has voted to ban eating dog meat and end controversy around the ancient custom, with animal campaigners calling the result “history in the making”.
Up to one million dogs a year are factory-farmed and killed for human consumption in South Korea, but attitudes towards the practice have changed over recent years, with demand falling to an all-time low.
The ban, which comes into force in six months, will make the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs and dog meat for human consumption illegal from 2027, with penalties of up to three years imprisonment or a fine of up to 30m KRW (£18,000). Setting up new dog farms, slaughterhouses and cooking and processing facilities will be banned immediately.
Image: A Humane Society International worker rescues a dog at a dog meat farm in Asan, South Korea. Pic: Jean Chung/For HSI
“This is history in the making. I never thought I would see in my lifetime a ban on the cruel dog meat industry in South Korea but this historic win for animals is testament to the passion and determination of our animal protection movement,” said JungAh Chae, executive director of Humane Society International/Korea.
“While my heart breaks for all the millions of dogs for whom this change has come too late, I am overjoyed that South Korea can now close this miserable chapter in our history and embrace a dog-friendly future.”
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Image: Puppies in a cage at a dog meat farm in Asan, South Korea. Pic: Jean Chung/For HSI
Similar anti-dog meat bills have failed in the past because of protests by those involved in the industry and concerns about the livelihoods of farmers and restaurant owners, but the ban includes a three-year grace period and financial support for businesses to transition away from the trade.
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Source : Sky News
