A city court in South Korea ruled it was illegal to kill dogs for meat. Will it pave way to a national ban?
‘It is very significant in that it is the first court decision that killing dogs for dog meat is illegal itself’
A South Korean city court has outlawed the killing of dogs for meat, in a potentially landmark ruling that animal rights activists said Thursday could pave the way to making eating canines illegal.
The meat has long been a part of South Korean cuisine, with about one million dogs believed to be eaten annually.
But consumption has declined as South Koreans increasingly embrace the idea of dogs as man’s best friend rather than livestock, with the practice now something of a taboo among younger generations and pressure from activists mounting.
Animal rights group Care last year filed complaints against a dog farm operator in Bucheon, accusing him of “killing animals without proper reasons” and violating building and hygiene regulations, and prosecutors later charged him.
