South Korea’s dog meat ban leaves half a million lives in limbo
As South Korea moves to end dog meat consumption by 2027, the government lacks a clear survival plan for nearly half a million caged dogs
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has confirmed that at least 468,000 dogs are currently kept on farms in cages nationwide, or at some 5,900 related businesses, including slaughterhouses, distributors and restaurants.
Following the ban, there are few clear plans about how the dogs will be cared for, raising the possibility of some being left to fend for themselves in the wild.
State-run canine shelters across the country, often operated by local governments, are already at full capacity, according to Humane World for Animals Korea, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to animal welfare. They say the country is far from prepared to provide a safe new life for the massive number of dogs expected to be freed.
“The meat farm owners, facing the government ban, are willing to give up their dogs and want to be done with them. At the same time, local governments cannot take in these animals due to a shortage of space at their shelters. Facilities nationwide are literally at full capacity right now,” Lee Sang-kyung, a campaign team leader for Humane World for Animals Korea, said on Tuesday.
The agency is a regional branch of the international organisation headquartered in Washington.