Korean Job Discussion Forums

fusionbarnone · Joined: 31 May 2004

My fiancee and I love animals and they seem to like us too. Yesterday she asked me if we could buy a giraffe(since were planning our future home) I said yeah, that's fine!

Have you seen the movie "Second hand lions"? All the animals and the owners seemed to be on good terms.

We've talked chickens, etc, etc, even cows with my stipulation that none of our future menagerie will ever get 'skittled'(includes a giraffe; if I can pull that off someday). I don't see the point.

Just have to grow a hell of a lot of plum trees I suppose(for the giraffe; hope he/she likes plums).

Cruelty to animals is unnessasary and demonstrates a lack humanity(soul or psychopathic tendencies) .

hojucandy · Joined: 03 Feb 2003 Location: In a better place

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

We'll just have to agree to disagree I think. I think the issue of pigs - and by extention the way animals are treated in the West - is rather less straightforward than you appear to think. Meanwhile, someone posts a pic of some dogs on a truck and everyone goes crazy. Rolling Eyes

It is cruel, needlessly so. I don't think that's in dispute. Who in their right mind would disagree? What is open to debate is whether we in the west have any right to criticize given the way we treat animals. We're hypocrites. Ever seen what the French do to frogs? Or the way hens and cattle are kept in the UK? Dog-eating is relatively rare. Poor treatment of animals in the west isn't rare! Dog's eaten mainly by males for a start and mainly older males at that. In my experience, Koreans have pet dogs just like those lovely non-funny-eyed caucasians in North America. Koreans are able to think for themselves and form a judgement about the practice - some are defensive about it, some think it's awful. My humble advice re all aspects of living and working in this great country is throw away the cliche book, get out there, eat Korean food, meet Koreans, don't just hang around in Sh1taewon, and if you find the practice of dog-eating barbaric...just think about something nice, like Park Ji Sung doing the business for Manchester United.

hojucandy · Joined: 03 Feb 2003 Location: In a better place

yu and i don't disagree much spinoza...

i agree with yu. there is plenty of cruelty to animals in the west too.

i just wish they would kill the dogs cleanly and quick.

incidently there are dog abattoirs in vietnam which are government licensed and inspected by aniamls welfare officers and veterinarians. the dogs are treated gently and killed quickly with a minimum of fuss. it could and should be done better here.

i worked in the meat industry for 20 years. have seen everything. i despise "cute-ism" - the tendency to feel extra pity for animals that yu like. i treat all animals equally, and well.

peony · Joined: 30 Mar 2005

as far as i've heard, most 'dog farms' do electrocute them these days, supposedly same end results, that kick of adrenaline or whatever

either which way, its a practice that i dont agree with but as a meat-eater and in my veggie bf's eyes, what is there to differentiate eating a dog vs. eating pig? because we call it by a different name so we can think happy thoughts and imagine that pork and beef was born in a shiny styrofoam container with saran wrap and a price sticker over it?

its a different culture, one that many of us will not agree with as we see dogs as house pets and not food but nonetheless, a different culture and it makes them no more and no less 'cultured' than those of us that grew up in the west with fluffy lap dogs with nary a thought in our heads of that dog's brethren one day being served in a soup bowl at a restaurant

anyways, my point is, we cant apply our society's mores to anothers and deem that society as being less cultured or ignorant just because they are different

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

TJ · Joined: 10 Mar 2003

With a lot of help from Shakuhachi I am now able to post a "Happy Dog" photo. Hope you all enjoy seeing how and where my dog lives.

shakuhachi · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Location: Sydney

SuperFly · Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Location: In the doghouse

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

red dog · Joined: 31 Oct 2004

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

Good job, Red Dog.

red dog · Joined: 31 Oct 2004

Barking Mad Lord Snapcase · Joined: 04 Nov 2003

Isn't there an unofficial Korean holiday where men eat bosintang to bolster their "manhood"?

As a meat eater, I am aware that animals are treated badly all over the world (the techniques and degrees of suffering may vary, but let's not get into that). If there are dog farms in Korea where the dogs and killing techniques are constantly visible to the public, then perhaps someone should quietly take some photographs or video footage in full view of those who are running the show. If the dog vendors are proud of what they are doing, then they have nothing to hide. I wonder, however, how they would react if they saw a foreigner pointing the camera at their stock.

If you live in a neighbourhood where the sound of suffering dogs is keeping you awake, then I guess you are entitled to take some sort of audio or video recording of what is going on. There should be nothing preachy or lawsuity about it; just a simple recording that you may post on the net, post to a foreign news service, or - perhaps - post a copy to the dog farmers themselves just to let them know that someone knows what they are doing. I certainly would not encourage anything melodramatic. If the dog farmers are no different from abbotoir workers and are just doing their job - and you don't have to trespass to take the footage - then I don't see any problem on either side of the fence.

I don't believe we should force Korea to change its ways. If you feel offended by the bosintang industry, then I don't think that the issue should be countered with overt and blatant protest, nor trespassing, but rather a simple acknowldgement and presentation of visible reality. Surely the Koreans would not object to that? Surely not ...