Due to the Upcoming Meat Ban, South Korean Dog Farmers Are Threatening to Release their Dogs

Eve Vawter
·2 min read
85

On November 17 of this year, the South Korean government announced  its plans to ban the dog meat trade. This includes the shutdown of dog meat farms, slaughterers, and approximately 1,600 restaurants that still serve dog meat, according to government data.

Despite the government assuring farmers and restaurants that they would help them transition from the dog meat business to less inhumane ways of profiting, farmers have now threatened to unleash over two million dogs into the streets and lands of South Korea.

Time Magazine shared the above article to Facebook, and explained, "In the face of a proposed dog meat ban in South Korea, the Korea Dog Meat Farmers’ Association—which has long opposed moves to crack down on the industry—said that it was mulling the release of 2 million dogs near government landmarks in Seoul as well as the homes of lawmakers."

Related: South Korea Is Finally Banning the Sale and Consumption of Dog Meat

A lot of young people support the ban, and a Gallup Korea poll last year showed 64% opposed dog meat consumption. The survey found only 8% of respondents had eaten dog within the past year, down from 27% in 2015.

The bill wants to end the dog meat trade by 2027, and farmers and business that support the dog meat trade would also be given a three-year grace period, as well as financial aid from the government, to transition out of the trade.

One solution that could be hoped for is that rescue organizations that transport dogs from South Korea to other countries for adoption could work out a trade of sorts with these businesses to find dogs from the meat trade forever homes.

As horrific as the dog meat trade is, abandoning over two million dogs into the streets as a sort of retaliation isn't ideal either. Here's hoping it doesn't come to that.

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