Petition: https://chng.it/KcYqDCPp

Bakersfield, California: Tell Sister City Bucheon, South Korea, that you oppose the torture and consumption of dogs and cats.

Bakersfield has become a Sister City with Bucheon, South Korea, regardless of the fact that Bucheon ignores horrendous dog and cat cruelty by allowing the illegal breeding, brutal slaughter, and sale of these animals for its meat trade.

South Korea is the home to global companies, such as Hyundai, Kia, Samsung, LG, Daewoo, SK, and POSCO, which is why it is so shocking that an estimated 2.5 million dogs are tortured and slaughtered every year within South Korea, because of the greed of dog eaters and the dog meat industry; while the majority of those Koreans, who don’t actually participate in this offensive trade, show a profound indifference by doing nothing at all to stop it.

We know how loyal and faithful our dogs across the world are. We all ask a lot of them - they serve us in innumerable ways: farm work, war work, police, and guard duties, search and rescue, help for the disabled, guiding and guardianship, and, of course, as our loving and trusting companions.

Dogs were first domesticated many thousands of years ago, and so much do they want to be part of our ‘human’ family that they have learned to understand our gestures and our language - the language of another species, which shows remarkable willingness and intelligence.

Bucheon is one of the largest dog meat consumption areas in South Korea.  There are countless dog slaughterhouses, markets, and restaurants where the dogs, who have been tortured their entire lives, end up being slaughtered in the most inhumane ways, such as by electrocution, hanging, or beating; and then thrown into boiling water – sometimes while they are still alive. In many places, dogs are being killed in full view of other terrified, caged dogs; and this takes place in public and broad daylight. In addition, many abandoned and stolen former pets end up in this industry and are subject to the same cruelty.

Please watch this undercover video by animal rights activists in South Korea: http://youtu.be/3uR8R8Mu70Q

There are laws in South Korea against selling dogs and cats for consumption, yet these laws are blatantly ignored.

Please inform Bucheon Mayor Cho Yong-eek that the City of Bakersfield and its citizens insist that they  issue an official document mandating that the following existing laws be enforced:

The unauthorized processing of food waste fed to dogs in the meat trade violates the Wastes Control Act, Article 15-2, Article 25, Section 3.  Suppliers of food waste and transporters of food waste to dog meat farms are violating this regulation.

Food waste fed to dogs in the dog meat trade violates the Control of Livestock and Fish Feed Act, Article 14, Section 1 & 2.  The unauthorized collection of food waste and the act of feeding it to dogs in the meat trade violates this regulation.

Excrement and resulting environmental damage produced as a by-product of the illegal dog meat farm violates the Act on the Management and Use of Livestock Excreta Article 11.  The excrement produced at dog meat farms causes environmental damage to the immediate and surrounding area.

The act of slaughtering of dogs for human consumption is a violation of the Animal Protection Act Article 8, Section 1, Clause 4. The act of slaughtering a dog without a justifiable ground – such as out of necessity for veterinary treatment or in circumstances of immediate threat, harm, or damage to human life or property, is a violation.

The slaughter of dogs by electrocution violates the Animal Protection Act, Article 8, Section 1, Clause 1.  Inflicting injury or death to any animal by the following means: battery by tools, exposure to drugs, exposure to extreme heat or fire, electrocution, and drowning is subject to legal punishment. Therefore, the routine slaughter of dogs by butchers and farmers by these methods violates the Act. Further, electrocution as a method of slaughter is internationally recognized as an inherently cruel method of slaughter and banned globally.

Slaughter of dogs from unauthorized slaughterhouses violates Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act, Article7 Section 1.  The Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act states that dogs are officially recognized and classified as “animals” that are “prohibited from being slaughtered and distributed as food for human consumption”. Therefore, those vendors operating dog slaughterhouses are operating outside of the parameters of the law and in violation of the law.

Slaughter of dogs for his/her consumption violates Animal Protection Act, Article 10.  The Act intends to ensure that no animal is slaughtered in a cruel or revolting manner, and shall be free from unnecessary pain, fear, or stress during the slaughter process. Therefore, the only humane way of slaughtering dogs would be by euthanasia (lethal injection). All currently practiced methods of slaughter by butchers, farmers, and traders exclude euthanasia as a method of slaughter. Therefore, they are all in breach of this Act.  This is also a violation of LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS SANITARY CONTROL ACT Article7 Section 1 Clause 2.  According to the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act, the slaughter of animals for his/her consumption is allowed only for the livestock animals that are publically announced as classification of livestock in the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act and dogs are not classified here.

The display and sale of dog carcasses in traditional outdoor markets violate Food Sanitation Act, Article 4, 5.  Violation of laws banning the sale of harmful food due to the contamination from the unsanitary and illegal slaughter of the animal and display of the dog carcass. For example, dog carcasses are routinely contaminated by microorganisms that cause human diseases and food poisoning, leading to serious and life-threatening health complications.  There are also strict laws that ban the sale of meat from sick animals because there is no quality control or formal monitoring of slaughter practices in the dog meat trade, violation of these laws is likely to happen routinely.

Dog meat restaurants’ sale of dog meat soup made with dog carcasses from an unknown source violates Food Sanitation Act Article 44 Section 1 Clause 1. Uninspected livestock products must not be transported, stored, displayed, sold, or used for manufacturing or processing of food for human consumption.

Please refer to the legal information regarding dog meat consumption in South Korea published by KARA (Korea Animal Rights Advocates):  http://koreandogs.org/kara-publishes-legal-information-booklet-ending-dog-meat-consumption/

We believe these demands align with the goal of Sister cities to establish friendly communications in the areas of tourism, commerce, cultural exchange, and public health.

International coverage of the brutal dog and cat meat trade in South Korea has stained Bucheon, South Korea’s image, and severely tarnished your county’s Sister city relationship. The time to end this tragedy is now. The favor of your reply is requested. Thank you for taking swift action!

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Please click on call for action: http://koreandogs.org/bucheon-sister-city-bakersfield/