Dear Busan Buk-gu (Northern) District Government Mayor Jeong Myeong-Hui and Busan Metropolitan Mayor Oh Keo-Don, 

We have learned that illegal dog slaughtering has been taking place for over 20 years on a land owned and managed by your government at the Gupo Market in Busan, South Korea. (http://koreandogs.org/busan-dog-slaughterhouse-on-busan-northern-district-land/  in Korean, http://news20.busan.com/controller/newsController.jsp?newsId=20131209000115#none  구청 소유 부지에서 20년째 개 도살 동물학대방지연합 "시설 철거" 주장)

It’s time to shut this “Hell Hole” down! The fact that this illegal, criminal activity has been going on for so long doesn’t make it right. With the cages and cages full of dogs, waiting outside this place during the summer's peak dog meat season, it is also suspected that the mass killing, documented undercover in this video from Seongnam Moran Market, has taken place here: http://youtu.be/UKSGgsjnJlY

Below are just few of many violations of Animal Protection Law by the dog slaughterhouses in Gupo Market and many other markets that sells dog meat around the country in South Korea:

Unauthorized processing of food waste fed to dogs in the meat trade is a violation of 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 is a violation of the Control of Livestock and Fish Feed Act, Article 14, Section 1 & 2. Unauthorized collection of food waste and the act of feeding it to dogs in the meat trade is in violation of this regulation.

Excrement and resulting environmental damage produced as a by-product of the illegal dog meat farm is a violation of 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 the slaughtering of dogs for human consumption is a violation of the Animal Protection Act Article 8, Section 1, Clause 4. The act of the slaughtering of a dog, without 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 is a violation of 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 is in violation of the Act. Further, electrocution as a method of slaughter is internationally recognized as an inherently cruel method of slaughter and banned globally.

The slaughter of dogs from an unauthorized slaughterhouse is a violation of Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act, Article 7 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.

The slaughter of dogs for his/her own consumption is a violation of the Animal Protection Act, Article 10. The intent of the Act is 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 process of slaughter. 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 excludes euthanasia as a method of slaughter, therefore they are all in breach of this Act. This is also a violation of the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act Article 7 Section 1 Clause 2.

According to the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act, the slaughter of animals for his/her own 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 is a violation of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 4, 5. Violation of laws banning the sale of harmful food due to the contamination from 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; this can lead to serious and life threatening health complications. There are also strict laws that ban the sale of meat from sick animals, due to the fact that there is no quality control or formal monitoring of slaughter practices in the dog meat trade it is very likely that violation of these laws is happening routinely.

Dog meat restaurants’ sale of dog meat soup made with dog carcasses from an unknown source is a violation of 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 the dog meat consumption in South Korea published by KARA (Korea Animal Rights Advocates): https://www.ekara.org/activity/against/read/7537 http://koreandogs.org/kara-publishes-legal-information-booklet-ending-dog-meat-consumption/

It's time the Korean government stop turning a blind eye to this illegal and cruel industry and start enforcing the Animal Protection Law. It's time that your government stop making excuses about a so-called "Legal Blind-Spot" and stop pointing fingers at each other about the problem. It's time you enact and enforce a clear law to ban this brutal killing and madness once and for all!

In the Korean adage, "So Tam Dae Shil (소탐대실小貪大失 )" means "you can suffer a big loss in going after a small gain". We urge the South Korean government to realize that there is a much "bigger loss" at stake while you are insisting on the "small gain" of another choice of meat. It is time that you, as the South Korean government, show the world that you are not void of compassion and a conscience and that you take your Animal Protection Law seriously! We will boycott all South Korean products and tourism until this shameful and illegal atrocity of the dog meat trade finally comes to an end!!

Click HERE for more actions you can take.

대한민국은 불법 개농장, 도축장, 시장, 보신탕집을 폐쇄하라!!!

대한민국 정부에게 청원합니다!

우선 “대한의 육견인들 (https://youtu.be/cCdTceduKcY)”이라는 다큐멘터리를 참고로 봐주시기 바랍니다.

대한민국정부가 개고기를 다루는 불법 개농장, 도살장, 시장, 보신탕집, 건강원을 단속하는 즉각적 조치를 취하기를 촉구합니다. 또한 한국정부, 경찰청, 사법기관이 아래와 같은 기존 한국법 시행을 요구하는 공식문서를 발급할 것을 요청합니다.

– 개의 사육단계에서 식용견 사료용으로 음식쓰레기를 무단처리하는 것은 폐기물 관리법 제 15조의 2, 제 25조 3항 위반입니다. 음식물쓰레기 배출자와 운반자들은 이 의무규정을 위반하고 개농장주에게 음식쓰레기를 제공하고 있습니다.

– 허가 없이 음식쓰레기를 수집/운반하여 개에게 급여하는것은 사료관리법 제 14조 1항 및 2항의 위반입니다.

– 불법으로 난립된 개농장에서 배출되는 분뇨로 인한 환경위해는가축분뇨법 제 11조의 위반입니다. 개농장의 배설물은 인근 지역 환경 피해를 유발합니다.

– 식용하기 위한 개도살은 동물보호법 제 8조 1항 4호의 위반입니다. 개도살은 수의학적 처치의 필요나 동물로 인한 사람의 생명, 신체, 재산의 피해를 입은 경우 같은 정당한 사유 없이 동물을 죽이는 행위로 명백한 법 위반 행위입니다.

– 전기감전으로 개를 도살하는 행위는 동물보호법 제 8조 1항 1호의 위반입니다. 도구, 약물 또는 열, 전기, 물을 이용한 상해 행위마저 법적 처벌의 대상인 만큼 당연히 상기 방법에 의한 도살 행위는 위법이며 특히 전기도살은 그 잔인함으로 인해 국제적으로 금지되고 있습니다.

– 무허가 도살장에서 개를 도살하는 행위는 축산물 위생관리법 제 7조 1항 위반입니다. 개는 축산물 위생관리법에서 규정한 ‘도살, 식육으로의 유통이 불가능’한 동물로서 허가받은 도살장이 존재할수가 없습니다. 따라서 개 도살장을 운영하는 공급업체는 법의 매개 변수를 벗어나 법을 위반하고 있는 것입니다.

– 자가소비를 목적으로 개를 도살하는 행위는 동물보호법 제 10조와 축산물 위생관리법 제 7조 1항 2호의 위반입니다. 모든 동물은 잔인한 방법으로 도살되어서는 안되는데, 개도살의 경우 인도적인 방법은 약물주사 외에는 없으므로 현재 한국에서 자행되는 모든 식용 목적 개도살은 잔인한 도살에 해당합니다. 축산물 위생관리법의 ‘자가소비를 위한 도살 허용’은 고시로 정한 축산물 위생관리법상 가축에 한하며 개는 해당사항이 없습니다.

– 재래시장에서 개의 지육을 전시/판매하는 행위는 식품위생법 제4, 5조의 위반입니다. 불결한 불법도축과 지육 전시과정에서의 오염으로 ‘위해식품 등의 판매금지’ 조항에 위배됩니다. 개의 지육이 병을 일으키는 미생물에 오염된 경우 인체의 건강을 해칠 우려가 있습니다. 또 유기견이나 개농장의 병든 개체가 도살돼 판매될 가능성을 배제하지 못하므로 ‘병든 동물의 고기 등의 판매금지’ 조항에 위배됩니다.

– 보신탕집에서 출처 불명의 개고기를 이용한 보신탕을 판매하는 행위는 식품위생법 제44, 1항 1호의 위반입니다. 검사를 받지 않은 축산물은 운반, 보관, 진열, 판매하거나 식품의 제조, 가공에 사용해서는 안됩니다.

동물권행동 카라의 개식용에 관한 법적 정보 “개식용 종식을 위한 법규 안내집이 발간되었습니다!”를 참조하십시오.
https://www.ekara.org/activity/against/read/7537

미국 하원은 공식적으로 결의안 H.Res 401 “개와 고양이 식용산업을 종식시키고 모든 국가가 개와 고양이식용를 금지할 것을 촉구한다.”를 통과시켰습니다. (https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-resolution/401

대한민국에서 자행되는 잔인한 개/고양이 식용산업에 대한 외신 보도가 한국의 이미지를 크게 추락시키고 있습니다. 이 비극을 끝낼 때입니다! 대한민국 정부의 회신을 요청드립니다.