cat

Mayor Emily Gabel-Luddy of Burbank: Tell Sister City, Incheon, South Korea, That We’re Opposed to the Torture and Consumption of Dogs and Cats.Burbank has become Sister City with Incheon, South Korea.  This relationship was no doubt formed in the spirit of friendship and for your mutual benefit, for business links and trade etc.  And, while Burbank would have expected to learn about the differences in cultural practices of the Incheon citizens, we feel certain that your city would have hesitated to form such a Sister City relationship had your city known about the aberrant and cruel practices routinely carried out in the dog and cat meat trades in Incheon and all over South Korea.  Lucrative, but illegal trades which carry on unchallenged: with no enforcement of the laws and no punishment for those violating them.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.In Incheon there are countless dog farms, slaughterhouses, markets and restaurants where the dogs, who are 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 in broad daylight. In addition, many abandoned and stolen former pets end up in this industry, and are subjected to the same cruelty.Please watch this undercover video by animal rights activists in South Korea: http://youtu.be/3uR8R8Mu70QThere are laws in South Korea against selling dogs and cats for human consumption yet these laws are routinely and blatantly ignored.We believe that there must surely be some social responsibility for the representatives of one city to take a stand against any wrongdoing being sanctioned or ignored by their Sister City.  As such, we ask you to please urge Incheon Mayor Park Nam-Chun to take action, and to state that Burbank and its citizens demand that Incheon issue an official document mandating that the following existing Korean laws be enforced by its government officials, police and judges:Unauthorized processing of food waste fed to dogs in the meat trade is a violation of 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 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 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 Animal Protection Act Article 8, Section 1, Clause 4. The act of slaughtering of 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 is a violation of 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.Slaughter of dogs from 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.Slaughter of dogs for his/her own consumption is a violation of 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, 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 Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act Article 7 Section 1 Clause 2.  According to the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act, 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.Display and sale of dog carcass in traditional outdoor markets is a violation of Food Sanitation Act, Article 4, 5.  Violation of laws banning 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 carcass are routinely contaminated by microorganisms that cause human diseases and food poisoning which can lead to serious and life threatening health complications.  There are also strict laws which 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 carcass 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):  http://koreandogs.org/kara-publishes-legal-information-booklet-ending-dog-meat-consumption/We believe these demands are in line with the spirit and goals of Sister cities to establish friendly communications in the areas of tourism, commerce, cultural exchange and public health.Your action is important; it can and will help save the lives and reduce the suffering of animals tragically caught up in the South Korean dog and cat meat trades.  Many Mayors from around the world have supported our campaigns by reaching out to their various counterparts within South Korea.  Take Bucheon, for example, such action really made a difference: they are now working hard towards becoming the first ‘dog meat free’ city in South Korea, by closing down illegal dog farms and slaughterhouses, and mandating that restaurants stop selling dog meat dishes!  Inspiring news, resulting from direct action by inspiring people, like yourselves.International coverage of the brutal dog and cat meat trade in South Korea has stained Incheon, South Korea’s image.  Don’t let it also tarnish your City’s Sister city relationship. The time to end this tragedy is now.  The favor of your reply is requested.--------------------------------Click here to find more ways to contact Mayor, the Hon. Emily Gabel-Luddy.  http://koreandogs.org/incheon-sister-city-burbankFor more info: http://koreandogs.org/ 

Click here to read the latest update from Dr. Pyo Changwon: http://koreandogs.org/pyo-changwon-fb/ We thank you, Dr. Pyo Changwon for standing up for rights of Korean animals! Dear Dr Pyo,  As a member of the National Assembly in South Korea, you have been instrumental in taking the first step in bringing about proposing key amendments to current Korean Animal Protection legislation, to improve the welfare of the dogs in the meat trade and to introduce harsher penalties on those who flout it.   We see this as an important stepping stone in raising South Korea's animal welfare standards in line with the changing attitudes of its people and those held by the wider international community.  It also makes for a positive start towards our future aim of abolishing the dog meat trade in South Korea for good. We wish to reach out to you directly to express our sincere gratitude at your willingness to listen to the voices of both the South Korean people and the wider international community on this highly contentious issue. Challenging established behaviors and business practices, no matter how abhorrent we may find them, is always going to be a struggle regardless of where in the world you are located.  So we thank you for taking a stand for these amazing animals and we sincerely hope that you continue to be a pro-active part of the collective growing ‘voice’ in support of further legislative reform of animal welfare laws in South Korea.   [Korean translation] 한국의 동물보호에 적극 앞장 서신 표창원의원에게 감사를 표합니다. 표창원 의원님께 의원님께서는 대한민국 국회의 동물복지위원회 회장으로서 식용견 유통/판매업계의 개들의 복지를 향상시키고 동물보호법을 어기거나 간과하는 자들의 처벌을 강화하는, 현행 동물보호법 개정안을 발의하는 첫걸음을 내딛는 데에 있어서 큰 역할을 해주셨습니다.   이 발의는 한국인들과 광범위한 국제단체 멤버들의 변화하고 있는 동물복지에 대한 자세에 걸맞게끔 대한민국의 동물 복지 수준을 높일 수 있는 매우 중요한 디딤돌이라고 보고 있습니다. 또한 대한민국에서 음식으로써 개고기 거래 자체를 종식시키고자 하는 저희들의 장기적 목표에 대한 긍정적인 시발점이 되었습니다. 뜨거운 논쟁거리가 되어온 이 문제에 대한 대한민국 국민들 및 국제단체들의 의견들을 마다하지 않고 기꺼이 경청해주신 점 심심한 사의를 표하고 싶습니다. 전부터 있어왔던 관습과 관련사업은 사람들이 비록 혐오하는 것일지라도 그에 맞서는 건 세계 어느 곳에서든지 반드시 어려울 수 밖에 없습니다. 그렇기에 더더욱 잔인하게 학대 받는 동물들을 위해 강경한 입장을 취해주심에 감사를 드리고, 대한민국 동불 복지 관련 추가 법 개정을 지지하는 연합된 '목소리들'이 점점 커지고 있는 이 와중에 앞으로도 계속해서 주도적인 역할을 맡아주시기를 진심으로 희망합니다. 감사합니다. [Japanese translation] 韓国の犬肉取引に関する罰則強化の声をあげてくれた韓国下院議長のピョ・チャンウォン氏に感謝の意を表し、実際には犬肉産業を容認している韓国における動物保護法の改正を求めるものです。ピョ・チャンウォン議長に歩みを止めずに行動し続けてもらうために署名のご協力をお願いいたします。  ピョ殿： 韓国での下院における動物の福祉委員会議長として、犬肉取引における犬の福祉を改善して、それを無視する人々に対してのより厳しい罰則を導入する（proposing key amendments to current Korean Animal Protection legislation,）ために、現在の韓国の動物保護法改正の鍵となる一歩を踏み出す事に尽力されました。  韓国の動物福祉の基準の向上はもちろんのこと、変化し始めている韓国の人々や国際社会における基準や行いに足並みを揃えるためにも重要な布石を投じました。　また、韓国における犬肉取引を永久的に廃止する目的を持つ私達にとっても大変ポジティブな一歩でもあります。  非常に議論や対立を生じさせるこの問題に関して、韓国の人々やより広い国際社会の人々の声に耳を傾けたいと願う貴殿の意欲に心から感謝を申し上げます。  確立された習性や商習慣にメスを入れる事は、どんなに嫌悪感を抱こうとも、世界のどこにいようとも、闘いになるのが常です。　故にこれらの素晴らしい動物達の保護のために明確な態度を打ち出した事に対し感謝を申し上げるとともに、　韓国の動物の権利保護法のさらなる改革に向け率先的に『声』を上げ続けていただく事を心から望みます。  64 members of the National Assembly from both the ruling party and the opposition parties co-sponsored amendment to the Animal Protection Law proposed.  http://koreandogs.org/64-members-national-assembly-ruling-party-opposition-parties-co-sponsored-amendment-animal-protection-law-proposed/ “Dog and I, and Animal Protection Law” by Changwon Pyohttp://koreandogs.org/dog-animal-protection-law-changwon-pyo/SaveKoreanDogs’ recommendations for changes to the Animal Protection Lawhttp://koreandogs.org/savekoreandogs-recommendations-animal-protection-law/  표창원 의원, 대폭 바꾼 동물보호법 대표발의 (The Law Journal) http://www.lec.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=41773 국회의원 표창원, 동물보호법 확 바꾼다! [출처] 표창원,동물보호법 보도자료|작성자 표창원 MP Pyo, Changwon proposes new Animal Protection Law (Press Release) http://blog.naver.com/pyogo413/220800984060 MP Pyo, Changwon Member of Parliament (The Minjoo Party of Korea) #722 National Assembly Member’s Office Bldg., 1 Uisadang-daero Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Postal Code 07233South Korea 표창원국회의원대한민국 국회국회의원회관 722호(우)07233 서울시 영등포구 의사당대로 1 (여의도동)South Korea  

Dear Ambassador Cui Tiankai, China's rich cultural and traditional history spans thousands of years and now China is fast becoming a recognized and dominating super economic power, with its citizens enjoying a high standard of living as the result of economic and social progress.  However, with great success comes great responsibility, and as a global citizen, I am truly shocked and appalled to learn about the cruelty and suffering currently being inflicted upon the helpless companion animals, namely dogs and cats, of Yulin, killed during the annual Yulin Dog Meat Festival. This medieval way of treating animals sits at complete odds with how China has progressed as a society in recent years.  This is not about cultural differences this is about the most basic of ethics and about treating animals with compassion. It's plain to see that the practices carried out at Yulin represent a new low for China. Those animals we choose to be our working companions, our eyes when we are blind, our guardians of the family home, to share our food and to be our best friends for hundreds of years are suffering and are being slaughtered in the most monstrous of ways. There are many videos on YouTube to evidence this, although they are not easy to watch. Despite how you feel about eating any animal, no living, sentient being should be abused or tortured for any reason, and no right-minded person can rationally argue otherwise.  Dogs and cats suffer unspeakable horrors at the hands of farmers, traders and butchers - beaten, torched with fire, boiled alive, etc.  Not all these animals are "farmed" - many are beloved, stolen pets.  The medieval treatment of companion animals in Yulin provides a cruel contrast to the slick, sophisticated, modern image that China tries so hard to portray to the outside world.  Until Yulin and the Chinese government officials begin to legitimately and aggressively police, enact and enforce the companion animal protection laws as a first step in ending this shameful industry, I will be protesting for the tens of thousands of suffering, neglected and abused companion animals living lives of utter misery and pain unto death throughout Yulin and other cities that supply these animals to Yulin. ---------------------------------- To learn more and take action, please visit: English: http://koreandogs.org/yulin/Greek: http://koreandogs.org/yulin-greek/Italian: http://koreandogs.org/yulin-italian/Spanish: http://koreandogs.org/yulin-spanish/ Ambassador Cui TiankaiEmbassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America3505 International Place, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20008 U.S.A.Tel: +1-202-495-2266Fax: +1-202-495-2138E-mail: chinaembpress_us@mfa.gov.cn http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/ Consulate General Luo LinquanConsulate General of the People's Republic of China in San Francisco1450 Laguna Street, San Francisco, CA 94115Tel: 415-852-5924http://www.chinaconsulatesf.org/eng/ City of Yulin: http://www.yulin.gov.cn/ Italian:  FERMIAMO LO YULIN DOG MEAT FESTIVAL  Spettabile Governo Cinese, La Cina, con la sua ricca storia di cultura e tradizioni millenarie, è ormai anche un paese dichiaratamente annoverato tra le superpotenze economiche mondiali, con una popolazione ad un alto tenore di vita frutto di un raggiunto benessere sociale ed economico.  Tuttavia, con il grande successo arrivano anche le grandi responsabilità e in quanto cittadino del mondo, sono scioccato e disgustato dalla crudeltà e delle sofferenze inflitte su inermi animali da compagnia, i cani e gatti di Yulin, uccisi durante l’annuale Yulin Dog Meat Festival. Questo barbaro modo di trattare gli animali si scontra fortemente con il progresso sociale raggiunto dalla Cina in questi ultimi anni. Le differenze culturali non c’entrano, c’entra la necessità di trovare modi eticamente corretti e compassionevoli di interagire col mondo animale. E’ sotto gli occhi di tutti che le inumane torture perpetrate a Yulin rappresentano una vera e propria macchia indelebile nella storia recente della Cina. Gli stessi animali che abbiamo scelto come compagni di lavoro, come nostri occhi quando non siamo in grado di vedere, come guardiani delle nostre case e delle nostre famiglie, con cui condividiamo il nostro cibo e che sono i nostri migliori amici da centinaia di anni vengono massacrati nei modi più mostruosi. Esistono molti video su Youtube, a testimonianza di ciò, che non sono facili da guardare. E indipendentemente da come la si pensi in merito al consumo di qualsiasi animale, nessun essere vivente senziente dovrebbe essere in alcun modo costretto a sottostare ad abusi e torture e nessuna persona dotata di logica e raziocinio potrà mai dire il contrario. Cani e gatti patiscono sofferenze indicibili per mano di contadini, mercanti e macellai venendo bastonati, bruciati e bolliti ancora vivi. E non tutti questi animali vengono “allevati” a questo scopo, molti sono animali domestici rubati alle loro disperate famiglie.  Il trattamento barbaro degli animali da compagnia di Yulin si pone in netta contrapposizione con l’immagine elegante, sofisticata e moderna che la Cina cerca da tempo di mostrare al resto del mondo.  Finché Yulin e i rappresentanti del governo cinese non cominceranno a combattere questa pratica con forza e decisione implementando una legge per la protezione degli animali da compagnia come primo passo per porre termine a questa pratica vergognosa, io protesterò per le decine di migliaia di animali da compagnia negletti, abusati e torturati, costretti ad una vita miserrima e pene indicibili e letali in tutta Yulin e in tutte le altre città che forniscono animali a Yulin. Distinti saluti,

Click here to learn more and take action: http://koreandogs.org/contact-mayor-of-aurora/ Mayor Bob LeGare of Aurora: Tell Sister City, Seongnam, South Korea, That We’re Opposed to the Torture and Consumption of Dogs and Cats. Aurora has become Sister City with Seongnam, South Korea.  This relationship was no doubt formed in the spirit of friendship and for your mutual benefit, for business links and trade etc.  And, while Aurora would have expected to learn about the differences in cultural practices of the Seongnam citizens, we feel certain that your city would have hesitated to form such a Sister City relationship had your city known about the aberrant and cruel practices routinely carried out in the dog and cat meat trades in Seongnam and all over South Korea.  Lucrative, but illegal trades which carry on unchallenged: with no enforcement of the laws and no punishment for those violating them. 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. In Seongnam there are countless dog farms, slaughterhouses, markets and restaurants where the dogs, who are 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 in broad daylight. In addition, many abandoned and stolen former pets end up in this industry, and are subjected 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 human consumption yet these laws are routinely and blatantly ignored. We believe that there must surely be some social responsibility for the representatives of one city to take a stand against any wrongdoing being sanctioned or ignored by their Sister City.  As such, we ask you to please urge Seongnam Mayor Eun Su-Mi to take action, and to state that Aurora and its citizens demand that Seongnam issue an official document mandating that the following existing Korean laws be enforced by its government officials, police and judges: Unauthorized processing of food waste fed to dogs in the meat trade is a violation of 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 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 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 Animal Protection Act Article 8, Section 1, Clause 4. The act of slaughtering of 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 is a violation of 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. Slaughter of dogs from 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. Slaughter of dogs for his/her own consumption is a violation of 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, 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 Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act Article 7 Section 1 Clause 2.  According to the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act, 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. Display and sale of dog carcass in traditional outdoor markets is a violation of Food Sanitation Act, Article 4, 5.  Violation of laws banning 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 carcass are routinely contaminated by microorganisms that cause human diseases and food poisoning which can lead to serious and life threatening health complications.  There are also strict laws which 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 carcass 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):  http://koreandogs.org/kara-publishes-legal-information-booklet-ending-dog-meat-consumption/ We believe these demands are in line with the spirit and goals of Sister cities to establish friendly communications in the areas of tourism, commerce, cultural exchange and public health. Your action is important; it can and will help save the lives and reduce the suffering of animals tragically caught up in the South Korean dog and cat meat trades.  Many Mayors from around the world have supported our campaigns by reaching out to their various counterparts within South Korea.  Take Bucheon, for example, such action really made a difference: they are now working hard towards becoming the first ‘dog meat free’ city in South Korea, by closing down illegal dog farms and slaughterhouses, and mandating that restaurants stop selling dog meat dishes!  Inspiring news, resulting from direct action by inspiring people, like yourselves. International coverage of the brutal dog and cat meat trade in South Korea has stained Seongnam, South Korea’s image.  Don’t let it also tarnish your City’s Sister city relationship. The time to end this tragedy is now.  The favor of your reply is requested.