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awalk2remember
Joined: 29 Dec 2006
Location: Pusan
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 Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 10:57 pm Post subject: Dog farms - What can be done ? |
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Hey Everyone,
I live on the outskirts of Pusan and I have found a beautiful mountain trail that I enjoy walking on. It passes little makeshift Buddhist temples and it is complete with a babbling mountain stream.
When you get near the top you happen a few small restaurants that I know sell "mountain duck" and of course rabbit and dogs as there are dirty cages all around these restaurants filled with dogs of all sizes and breeds and rabbits in cramped little cages. The smell is horrible.
Now, I like to think of myself as a culturally sensitive foreigner. But when you see something that is so disgusting and cruel, you have to take some kind of stand.
I eat chicken, pork, fish, and cow so I don't want to be a hypocrite (sp?) but I try whenever possible to eat animal products that are "organic" and sometimes, especially living in Korea, you have to let things go.
I passed these mountain restaurants and went along further passing farms as I usually do on my walk. I suddenly smelled a kind of "burning hair" smell that made me cover my face. I came around the corner and saw 2 men squatting around a small fire. It looked like they were cooking something. They saw me and looked at me like they had their hands in the cookie jar and got caught.
What I saw will always stick in my mind - One man was holding a dog that looked like "Benji" over the fire and the other man had a blow torch and was burning off the dogs fur. I realized also that they just don't eat one particular variety of dog - they eat all sizes and kinds.
I walked on and nearly had to vomit. (Did I mention I was walking my dog at the time).
Up ahead, I felt like no longer enjoying a walk so I turned around and went back. The men looked at me again and looked worried at the blonde foreigner walking by. I looked at the dog and it was luckily dead ... I was hoping they hadn't been torturing it...
Anyway, I realize that this goes on as many of us do.
I am wondering if there is some sort of organization against animal cruelty here in Pusan and/or Korea. If so, as I suspect there would be, I would like someone to recommend one that they or someone they know is actively involved in. I want to become involved and I need to know the avenue to take.
Thanks in advance ...
Any suggestions would be welcomed  |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:06 pm Post subject: |
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a walk to remember, indeed
there is an organization of Koreans against animal cruelty
someone will come along and post a link
social change is slow, but there was a Korean film about a boy and his dog a couple of years ago, and pet ownership is up, so things are headed in the right direction (yes, that's a value statement) |
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indytrucks
Joined: 09 Apr 2003
Location: The Shelf
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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OP, you're in a part of the world (Asia) where treatment of animals is not as seriously regarded as in the West. Korea is by no stretch of the imagination the worst offender ... illegal animal markets in parts of Thailand, Myanmar and China are far, far worse than anything you will see here. The Korean organizations against animal cruelty here are admirable, but their protests largely fall on deaf ears and have resonance with a small part of the overal population. A demonstration involving the evisceration of a pig a few weeks back attracted a token amount of animal rights protesters, but nothing very seroius came of it. Your Western moral outrage to this treatment of a 'domestic' animal, whilst understandable and inevitable, simply does not translate fully in an Asian context.
Sorry. |
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Axl Rose
Joined: 16 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Indytrucks wrote: |
| Korea is by no stretch of the imagination the worst offender ... illegal animal markets in parts of Thailand, Myanmar and China are far, far worse than anything you will see here |
Astonishingly, that's quite right. Compared to dolphins' and moon bears' treatment in Japan and China (respectively), Korea really is mild. Cruel, cold, sadistic races.
I actually partly blame the West for dogs though. Korea was pressured to make dog meat illegal, meaning the industry was handed over to the black market. Like drug prohibition in the West, illegality has had the opposite of its intended effects. People who support these things are just absolutely dense and there's no hope for us on any moral issue with *beep* heads like this in the majority. Most human beings are still on a very inferior plain of consciousness. We should perhaps encourage the legalization of dog meat and rgulation, organization. We keep hearing from the apologists that dogs are killed quickly these days but I've never seen evidence. I have however heard the unmistakable sound of dogs being tormented (also in a mountainous rural area). |
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mrsquirrel
Joined: 13 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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| While you are at it can you close down the battery chicken farms, the pig farms, cow farms, cat farms, goat farms, vegetable farms, snake farms, crocodile farms, farm farms as well please. |
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Doogie
Joined: 19 Jan 2006
Location: Hwaseong City
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:00 am Post subject: |
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| Axl Rose wrote: |
| Indytrucks wrote: |
| Korea is by no stretch of the imagination the worst offender ... illegal animal markets in parts of Thailand, Myanmar and China are far, far worse than anything you will see here |
Astonishingly, that's quite right. Compared to dolphins' and moon bears' treatment in Japan and China (respectively), Korea really is mild. Cruel, cold, sadistic races.
I actually partly blame the West for dogs though. Korea was pressured to make dog meat illegal, meaning the industry was handed over to the black market. Like drug prohibition in the West, illegality has had the opposite of its intended effects. People who support these things are just absolutely dense and there's no hope for us on any moral issue with *beep* heads like this in the majority. Most human beings are still on a very inferior plain of consciousness. We should perhaps encourage the legalization of dog meat and rgulation, organization. We keep hearing from the apologists that dogs are killed quickly these days but I've never seen evidence. I have however heard the unmistakable sound of dogs being tormented (also in a mountainous rural area). |
Good point, Axl. I never, ever thought I would say this, but it might be a lot more humane if the industry was legal. I grew up in a family that loved dogs, so it just ruins me to hear things like this. I used to live in a rural area and I often heard the sounds of dogs that were suffering horribly. I lived near one of these chamber of horrors. Does anyone really think that Koreans are going to stop eating dog? They've been eating dogs in this country for a long time and I think it will continue for a long time. It's just heartbreaking that they can't kill these dogs in a quick, painless and humane manner. |
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LuckyNomad
Joined: 28 May 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:18 am Post subject: |
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| Funny that this topic should be brought up. Yesterday was my school's end of the year, Teachers get drunk at a restaurant party. We had a choice of chicken or dog. I said, what the hey, and chose dog. It tastes kinda like lamb. I'd prefer pork, beef, chicken or any other meat over dog, but it was still interesting to try. Dog is just another meat. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:31 am Post subject: |
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| LuckyNomad wrote: |
| We had a choice of chicken or dog.... Dog is just another meat. |
same same
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LuckyNomad
Joined: 28 May 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:01 am Post subject: |
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| Do you walk your pet fish too? |
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unknown9398
Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Location: Yeongcheon, S. Korea
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:17 am Post subject: |
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I understand your feelings about dogs as I've owned several that I've treated much like children. Nevertheless, this is not the West and you should not attempt to change the way Korea does things. It's not your home, country or culture. Leave it be, or you can expect to face real hostility from the natives.
I'm not saying I like it, agree with it, condone it, or anything of the kind. But it's none of my business...or yours. Look the other way. |
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Natalie
Joined: 16 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:37 am Post subject: |
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| unknown9398 wrote: |
I understand your feelings about dogs as I've owned several that I've treated much like children. Nevertheless, this is not the West and you should not attempt to change the way Korea does things. It's not your home, country or culture. Leave it be, or you can expect to face real hostility from the natives.
I'm not saying I like it, agree with it, condone it, or anything of the kind. But it's none of my business...or yours. Look the other way. |
I disagree. If everyone had that attitude the world would be a much sadder place. I believe its just basic human decency to try and put right something you believe is wrong, especially when it doesn't have anything to do with Korean culture, as in this case (dog eating is NOT korean culture)
You may not care, thats fine.
But I would, so we should respect each others freedom of opinion. |
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Bramble
Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Location: National treasures need homes
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Bramble
Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Location: National treasures need homes
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:49 am Post subject: |
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FYI, here's a message I received through a mailing list:
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Korea's New APL becomes Effective from January 2007
by APL Revision Promotion Committee
We are pleased to let you know that the Korean Animal Protection Law (APL) has been revised. The new APL passed in the national assembly plenary session on 21 December 2006. It had been 15 years since the first APL was established in 1991. The new APL will be effective from January 2008.
Korea's animal protection organizations have actively participated in the revision of the APL since the public hearing by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) in 1999. In January 2004, the APL Revision Promotion Committee was set up by major animal protection groups inclusive of CARE, KAAP, AFK, Voice4Animals, and KAPCA. The Committee exerted various efforts, by presenting opinions to the authorities, making visits to the national assembly and MAF, and holding campaigns and protests in relay. It also drew up its own revision bill and had lawmakers propose a motion in the national assembly. Meanwhile, many overseas animal protection groups made great contributions. Also, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) actively involved in the legislation process in the later part of 2006, creating the department of animal protection.
Plenty of improvements have been achieved in the revision. However, many key points demanded by the Committee was not accepted in the new APL. Those demands must be re-discussed in the next revision.
We have taken the first step on the road to animal welfare in Korea, and still have a long way to go. The MAF has announced the legislation of the enforcement decree and ordinance of regulations, and will hold on 10th of July. Your continuous attention and support will be highly appreciated.
Major improvements in the new legislation
1. The new APL has introduced registration of companion animals.
2. Activities are defined as animal abuse, which inflict injury on animals for the purpose ofgambling, advertisement, entertainment, amusement, and so on, and hereby punishment has become possible (except for cases ruled by implementing ordinances of Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.)
3. A maximum of 500,000won will be fined for abandoning a companion animal, and a maximum of 300,000won for not attaching a recognition tag to a companion animal.
4. A maximum of 5,000,000won will be fined for selling or slaughtering stray animals protected by regulations.
5. The new APL has included provisions on humane transportation of animals.
6. The new APL has made it mandatory for mayors and governors to establish and manage shelters for stray animals, or to secure consigned facilities.
7. The new APL has stipulated slaughtering methods to minimize the suffering of animals.
8. The new APL has provided principles and supervision on animal testing.
9. The new APL has almost banned testing on stray animals and service animals such as guard dogs and guide dogs for the blind.
10. The new APL has made mandatory the establishment of an animal ethics committee in animal testing facilities.
11. The new APL has made it possible for animal advocates recommended by NGOs to participate in animal ethics committees on animal testing.
12. The new APL has introduced registration of animal vendors and made it mandatory to educate them.
13. The new APL has made it mandatory for mayors, governors, and municipal heads to hire animal protection inspectors. Animal advocates recommended by NGOs can be assigned as honorary inspectors.
14. Animal protection inspectors can separate abused animals from abusers and hand them over to animal protection organizations.
15. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry is supposed to keep documentation on the registration, trade, and testing of animals, and to make them public.
16. The new APL has reinforced punishment, and the maximum monetary penalty for animal abuse has been raised from 200,000won to 5,000,000won.
17. The new APL has made it possible to punish animal testing organizations that fail to establish ethics committees. Punishment can be imposed on interferences with animal protection inspectors in the execution of their duty.
Future agenda for new revison.
The following demands have continually been made by the Committee, but have not been included in the revision of Animal Protection Law.
1. All vertebrates must be counted as animals to be protected.
2. In order to establish national policies on animal protection, an animal welfare committee must be set up under Prime Minister.
3. Opportunities must be provided to animal owners for education on adequate care of animals.
4. The poisonous article (6.6), as follows, must be removed.
Mayors/governors can prohibit raising animals and also keep out animals in certain areas.
5. Definition and types of animal abuse must be expanded. For instance, it must be defined as animal abuse to inflict on animals unnecessary pain and/or stress, or to leaveanimals in starvation or diseases.
6. Slaughtering cats and dogs for edible or medical purposes must be prohibited.
7. Offering animals as premiums must be considered animal abuse.
8. It must be mandatory that animals injured in traffic accidents be given primary care.
9. The following poisonous article (9.4) must be removed.
Mayors and county heads can donate stray animals to zoos.
10. Animals must not be buried alive for emergency sanitary reasonssuch as AI. Punishment must be possible for burying animals alive for these cases.
11. Qualifications for animal testers must be provided.
12. Prohibition on animal testing must be widened. For example, testings for cosmetics and testings on primates must be banned.
13. To secure transparency and fairness, more than 3 animal testing organizations must establish a joint ethics committee with exception of university and other facilities allowed by the ministry.
14. Funeral and burial services of animals must be ruled by separate local government regulations, rather than by the APL.
15. Specially recruited employeesmust be appointed to be animal protection inspector officials.
16. In terms of punishment, there remain some issues to balance out. For example, unleashing dogs while walkingthem will be fined 300,000won, whereas conducting a prohibited animal testing will be fined only 100,000won. |
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Richard Krainium
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:28 am Post subject: |
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When the buying stops, so will the killing.  |
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IlIlNine
Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Location: Gunpo, Gyonggi, SoKo
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:36 am Post subject: |
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| Maybe you anti-dogmunching activists should go to the dog market and throw dog poo at the dogs. That'll show 'em! |
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