Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa: Tell Sister City Goyang (Gyeonggi-do), South Korea, That We’re Opposed to the Torture and Consumption of Dogs and Cats.

Maui County has become Sister City with Goyang, South Korea, regardless of the fact that Goyang ignores horrendous dog and cat cruelty by allowing the illegal mass breeding and brutal slaughter 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; and 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.

But scattered throughout Goyang are countless dog farms and slaughterhouses  - each one a true ‘hell on earth’ for these defenseless creatures, and where man’s ‘best friends’ live their entire lives in squalid, feces-encrusted, raised wire cages, in utter misery - only to end up being slaughtered in the most horrific ways imaginable: by electrocution, a hammer blow to the neck, being hung or beaten, bleeding to death from a slashed throat, being burned to death with a blowtorch, or being thrown into a vat of boiling water often while still alive. 

Hell - have you ever wondered what it is like?  The below video shows ‘hell on earth’: dog farm and slaughterhouse in Goyang where this daily horror is carried out.  Please watch it, as words alone cannot describe this ‘hell on earth’; and, sadly, there are so many dog restaurants, slaughterhouses, farms and meat markets like this throughout Goyang.  

https://youtu.be/OjKuD8y6p-I

South Korea does have laws against selling dogs and cats for consumption yet these laws are blatantly ignored. 

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

Please will you inform Goyang Mayor Seong Choi that citizens of Maui County and their friends insist that South Korea issues an official document mandating the enforcement of the following existing laws: 

Livestock Product Sanitary Control Act, Article 2, Item 1, which governs the raising, slaughter and disposal of livestock and the processing, distribution and inspection of livestock products, does not categorize dogs as livestock that can be processed as food.  Therefore, technically, this makes the dog meat industry illegal. 

Food Sanitation Act, Article 7, Clause 1, Korean Food Standards Codex specified by the Food and Drug Administration, does not include dogs in the list of raw materials that can be processed and cooked as food, therefore making raising and slaughtering dogs for consumption illegal.

Animal Protection Act: 

ARTICLE 3. BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR PROTECTION OF ANIMALS 

Each person shall endeavor to observe the following principles in raising, caring for, or protecting an animal: 

1. Each person shall ensure that an animal maintains its natural behavior and original physical shape to live an ordinary life; 

2. Each person shall ensure that an animal does not suffer from thirst, hunger, or malnutrition; 

Each person shall ensure that an animal is free to express normal behavior without experiencing discomfort; 

4. Each person shall ensure that an animal is free from pain, injury, and disease; 

5. Each person shall ensure that an animal is free from fear and distress.

ARTICLE 8. PROHIBITION OF ANIMAL ABUSE 

① No one shall commit the following acts toward animals: 

1. Act of killing by brutal methods, such as hanging 

2. Act of Killing in public or in another animal’s presence

③ No one shall commit the following acts toward abandoned or abused animals: 

1. Act of capture and sell or kill.

2. Act of trade or purchase knowing that the animals are abandoned or abused. 

ARTICLE 9. ANIMAL TRANSPORTATION 

① Anyone transporting an animal that has been selected by decree from the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries must make an effort to abide by the following: 

1. Ensure that the animals are properly fed, watered and drive carefully so that animals are not shocked or harmed from sudden departures or stops. 

2. The vehicle used for transportation must be built to prevent any harm during transportation and to minimize any pain due to poor ventilation or sudden changes in temperature, etc. 

4. Avoid any possible injuries while moving an animal and minimize any pain or discomfort, such as sudden changes in body temperature or difficulty in breathing. 

ARTICLE 46. PUNISHMENT 

① Anyone who violates Article 8, Clause 1 through 3 shall be punished with up to one year in prison or a maximum fine of 10 million Korean won ($7,000 USD). 

Ministry of Environment's Conservation of Water Quality and Ecosystem Act, Article 15 Clause 1 Item 2 and Article 78 Item 3, the act of discharging excrement, livestock waste water, animal carcass, waste materials or sludge into public water is punishable by up to one year in prison or a maximum fine of 10 million Korean won ($7,000 USD). 

Livestock Safety Management Act, slaughterhouses are only authorized to slaughter animals they are registered to handle. No slaughterhouse is registered to slaughter dogs because dogs are not subject to slaughter under this law. 

We believe that these demands are in line with the goal of sister cities, which is to establish friendly communications in the areas of tourism, commerce, cultural exchange and public health. 

International media coverage of the brutal dog and cat meat trade in South Korea has stained Goyang, South Korea’s image, and severely tarnished your city’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!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Click below for more actions you can take: http://koreandogs.org/sister-city-campaign-goyang-gyeonggi-south-korea-maui-county-hawaii/

For more info: http://koreandogs.org/