Our government is planning to legalize dog meat under the pretense of sanitation control, waste water, and cruel slaughter of dogs. The Ministry of Environment, the Food and Medicine Office and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry are planning to classify dogs into edible dogs and pet dogs through legalization of slaughterhouses, stipulating dog meat as food, and operating a separate registration system for pet dogs and edible dogs respectively. These are clear indication of their intention for legalizing dog meat. Promoting the plan in favor of the dog meat traders in spite of serious harmful effect should be construed as our government, who has to exert itself for our country and the people, is out of the way it should be. Messrs. Congressmen, we sincerely hope you read the following evil caused by eating dog meat, and assist us in making our government not legalize dog meat, but prepare a proposed law on prohibition of eating dog meat gradually. Serious harmful effect caused by eating dog meat
1. Korea is world-widely known as a notorious country for maltreatment of animals and ugly conduct involving animals. Moreover, as the result of publicity by our government about the dog meat as one of our traditional food (our true traditional foods are such as boiled rice and barley, soybean paste, kimchi, and vegetables), foreigners regard all Koreans as eating dog meat, and look at us contemptuously behind our back as if we are the object of world-wide ridicule. In the presence of Korean people, they pretend respecting cultural food of our country in consideration of their own economical profit; however, they point at us with scorn when they turn their back. This would not bring desirable effect on Korean economy which must rely on international trade. No matter how hard we try to improve the image of our country by holding international games, it rather provides the opportunity to let everyone know about Korean eating dog meat as food whenever international games are held in Korea, which result in damaging our image.
Our ancestors used to be sympathetic. They used to eat dog meat because of poverty, and not because it was delicious nor treated animals as simple food stuff. Proverbs such as “We should not eat animals that love us,” “We have to treat dumb animals kindly,” “Be good to an animal and it will do you a favor; be good to a person and he will return evil for good,” “There is no wicked man who loves animals.” All these proverbs should be treated as the precious wisdom which show warm heart of our sympathetic ancestors. Eating dog meat and maltreating animals when we have plenty of food means insulting our ancestors. Why our descendants of a good strain should be treated as ugly people and become international mockery?
2. The major cause of the diseases common to adult people is eating too much meat. Among those diseases, high blood pressure, paralysis and cancer often attack the dog-meat eating people. Nearly 100% of owners of dog-meat restaurants who have ever tasted a bit of dog meat are suffering from high blood pressure; and nearly 99% of people who are fond of drinking dog-soju (hard liquor) are either suffering from paralysis or deceased already. Food poisoning is caused by unsanitary practice. These can be easily treated by hospitalization for one or two days, or by taking pills as prescribed. However, high blood pressure, paralysis and cancer are serious life-threatening and death diseases. Dog-meat dealers advertise as if it were good for stamina of men and skin care of women, which made many men in the prime of life trust and habitually eat them foolishly. As a result, it is often reported in the newspapers that number of men who suffer from diseases common to adult people is the largest in the world. Government should take responsibility and make its people realize the false advertisement of dog dealers and let them know about proper health practice. Overlooking the incredible advertisements of dog dealers who instigate wrongful health practice and give harmful effect upon the people would cause a great national loss, and it is negligence of its duties on the part of our government.
3. If dog meat becomes legally edible and displayed with beefs in meat shops and markets, many people as well as students and children will be shocked; and we will not be able to find justification for loving life. Children grow being hurt at heart by the fact that we eat dogs as beef, pork or chicken. Warm-hearted feeling of loving animals will be vanished, and on the contrary, we can easily predict that the children who treat slaughter of dogs as a common practice will gradually become cold-hearted character. A society betraying dogs which trust and take to us most, and eating them threatens the spirit of trust and mutual help which are the basis for all societies; promotes contemptuous mind against the weak; and makes them lose sympathetic feeling. Loving animals means loving lives, and it is known throughout the East and the West that it leads to human love. Because of this fact, we are trying to protect the animals and educate people about loving animals. We should not forget how important it is for the good of human beings to protect and love animals.
4. To kill and eat dogs means abusing dogs. Protection of animals including wild animals has faded away because of abusing dogs. One of the reasons we have to protect dogs first is that it becomes the basis for protecting all animals including wild animals. Our people, who have seen the killing of beloved animals which have been with us everyday, can easily kill and eat to say nothing of other animals such as wild animals as they easily eat most beloved animals. The thought of regarding all animals as a measure for health improvement, stamina, and moneymaking is overflowing among the people. Our government has been enforcing the Wild Animal Protection Law. But, what is the use of it? Poachers keep on installing all kind of snares and traps everyday. Poachers are frantic for catching wild animals as they can sell them at a high price under the pretense of health improvement, stamina and beauty. All of these problems occurred because our government has been neglecting the problem of eating dogs and cats which are companion animals of human being. If our government prohibited eating dogs and protected them, our consciousness on animal protection would have been generalized. It is well known that in a country where the companion animals of dogs and cats are not protected, wild animals are not protected either. As a soothing scheme for legalization of dog meat, our government is willing to strengthen and enforce the animal protection law. What is the use of strengthening and enforcing animal protection law when eating dog meat is going to be legalized? The people, who believe that dog meat tastes better and more effective when dogs are killed cruelly, would continue cruel slaughter in a secluded place; more people would think dog meat is edible lawfully; thus more dogs and cats will be killed in tain. This would result in increasing contemptuous feeling against animals instigating abuse of animals. Protection of all animals is possible through correcting the practice of eating companion animals, dogs and cats.
5. The government’s idea itself of classifying edible dogs against pet dogs is wrong. We cannot divide them as if we cut wood into two pieces. When people purchase companion animals, they choose according to their own personality and mind. We don’t make choice among the animals designated as pets by the government. As it is impossible to cut human mind, classifying edible dogs against pet dogs are not possible. If the government pushes the law through, it will result in chaotic situation. Tricky and merciless people will abuse classification of edible dogs against pet dogs, and turn pets into edible dogs when they get bored with their own pet dogs. There are many people who raise yellow mongrels as their pets. If they become strays they become edible dogs. In short, classifying pet dogs against edible dogs is same as preparing foundation for making all dogs edible. Of course it can be responded by saying that we can conduct registration system and prohibit pet dogs going outside; but it cannot be perfectly done. The dogs which go outside and that become lost would be caught by dog dealers, and then turned over to dog-meat soup traders if they cannot be sold to dog-lovers at an expensive price. However good law is formulated, it is clear that proposed classification of pet dogs against edible dogs by government cannot successfully protect pets for dog-lovers.
6. The population of our country is 48,000,000, and the men eating dog meat between 40-70 years old occupies 16% of the total population (according to the survey conducted by the National Statistical Office). Men eating dog meat usually as kimchi is less than 0.01%. Most children, students and women do not eat dog meat, and it is over 80%. Even if there are some women eating dog meat, the number is less than 10%. More than 70% of our people do not eat our companion dogs. The people, who do not eat dog meat, do not eat wild animals either. Most people who eat wild animals eat dog meat too. In this way, animal abuse of our country was caused by the practice of eating dog meat, and Korea became notorious for animal abuse because of those people.
If we don’t correct the problem of eating dogs/cats and the miss guided concept of health benefits, Korea will remain as an eternal animal abuse country. To reduce killing animals and protect weak animal lives, as long as it is possible, is our duty as a human being living in the civilized times. In the process of these, our personality and health could be recovered; therefore, it would be good to human beings as well as animals.
* We are not requesting to formulate laws to prohibit eating dog meat immediately. We can have 3-5 years of reserved period, and gradually educate the people on the evil effect caused by eating dog meat. If the harmful effect would be continuously explained to the people in detail so that they can fully understand, resistance from people eating dog meat or the dealers would not be serious. We can give 3-5 years to the dog-meat dealers during which time they can change their jobs. If the government and the press concentrate their efforts on disclosing falsehood of health improvement practices, there will be a lot of people who would change their own trade. Government and animal organigtions can consider buying those dogs and cats being raised to encourage change of jobs, and the government may assist really poor traders to encourage them for changing their jobs earlier. To make our country better, shouldn’t we overcome difficulties?
Formulation of the law on prohibition of dog meat is much easier than legalization of dog meat, and it would be helpful to the national interest. We hope everyone would make efforts on true development of Korea where people can enjoy peacefulness and happiness with material abundance.
Sunnan Kum.
Chairwoman Sunnan Kum, Korea Animal Protection Society
