I was quite alarmed when traveling to Korea (I was a teacher there for about a year) that the dog meat industry was a thing there. When you think about people eating dogs you have this image in your mind of countries that are very poor and therefore the abject poverty drives the desire / need to consume just about anything they can find. That is the case in North East Thailand and is also the case in China and Vietnam. Very few people actually consider the dog meat to be a delicacy.
But when I was in Korea I noticed that there were quite a few shops that advertise dog meat soup and proudly display the fact that they are doing this in the windows of their shops. Some of these shops were actually quite popular.
Thankfully a lot of this has changed over the years.
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The practice now, for the most part, is frowned upon and since 2015 over 2000 dogs have been rescued from dog farms, many of which were operating illegally, from various farms all over South Korea. They were relocated to the United States and Canada.
The practice is still allowed though and it is very unlikely to ever be banned although the younger generation for the most part has no interest in this culinary option.
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It is important when we look at this situation to not get too ethnocentric, especially if you eat other kinds of meat (which I do) and one Korean dog farmer had this to say
“Dog meat is part of Korean traditional cuisine. Having them take dogs from our farms and fly them out, it’s like shaming Korean culture.”
Dog meat is healthy and ethically no different from eating fried chicken. Chickens are also cute animals. Why enforce a double standard for dogs?”
and it is absolutely impossible to argue with that statement because he isn't wrong. The fact that many of us keep dogs as pets but very few do so with chickens or cows brings about a very good point. I realize that it is hypocritical of me and many others to have this double-standard but I am happy to see that the attitude in Korea is changing regardless.
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nearly 200 dogs on their way to Washington D.C.
In a recent poll it was revealed that 84% of South Koreans reject eating dog meat and I suppose that is a step in the right direction and also fantastic news for dog lovers around the world.
If you are Korean or from a country that embraces the consumption of eating dogs please understand that I am not trying to insult your country or your culture. I am just happy to see these dogs go to homes that want them as pets rather than food.
If you would like to see how you can help out or simply spread the word, please visit our website at
http://krabianimalwelfare.org
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