IDA
has learned from our colleagues at Animal Freedom Korea (AFK) that the
Ministry of the Office for Government Policy Coordination in Korea plans
to legalize the sale of dog meat by setting standards for hygienic slaughter
and processing. The Ministry recently completed a report on "the
hygienic control of dog meat," and is about to open an internal
debate. Under current Korean law, dogs cannot be sold as food, but the
law is not enforced. If the Ministry's plans for hygienic control succeed,
it will effectively legalize the dog meat market.
If the sanitary and environmental problems are so serious as to require
government intervention, then the Korean Government must ban dog meat
- not legalize it - in order to protect its citizens. AFK participated
in the policy discussion for the hygienic control of dog meat and strongly
opposed the measure. The group is actively working to block all efforts
to legalize dog meat in Korea.
The sale of dog meat can only be legalized if the scheme is approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), which is responsible for the hygienic control of livestock. However, the MAF has already stated that it is impossible to hygienically control dog meat. In addition, the people of Korea must support legalization for it to take effect. The fact is, very few Koreans eat dog meat and most wish to see it banned. Despite this, the Ministry of the Office for Government Policy Coordination continues to seek legalization.
Please write polite letters to Korean Government officials and let them know that for the health of their people and for the millions of dogs who are already suffering unimaginable cruelties, they must not legalize the sale of dog meat. To contact these officials or automatically send them a pre-written email, click here: http://ga0.org/campaign/koreandogs.
For
more information, please visit AFK's
web site or e-mail animal@animals.or.kr
GA UK