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South Korea’s Biggest Dog Meat Slaughterhouse Has Been Shut Down

By Timothy Roberts

People tend to look at animals differently, depending upon their culture and their upbringing. This may also include the treatment of animals in some cases.

People in some countries may look down on eating pork or beef but there is one type of meat that stirs controversy in almost all countries, and that is the consumption of dog meat.

If you are an animal lover, you probably cringe at the thought of somebody eating dog meat. Those animals are precious to us and even if you eat meat, you likely would never even consider including dog meat in your diet. There is just something about the bond that we have with dogs that makes it feel different to us.

One country where eating dog meat is common is South Korea. You will not find such a facility in the United States but in South Korea, there are a number of slaughterhouses and facilities that specialize in dog meat.

Something has recently happened, however, that has a significant impact on the production of dog meat. Campaigners are referring to it as a ‘landmark moment’ because the largest dog meat slaughterhouse in South Korea has been shut down.

The name of the complex was Taepyeong-dong and it was in Seongnam city. There were six slaughter houses located inside of the facility and all of them had the capacity for holding hundreds of dogs.

This facility would ship dog meat to restaurants all across the country but it has been confirmed by city officials that the facility will be closing down within two days.

A press release was issued by Humane Society international that talks about the horrible conditions inside of the slaughterhouse. Just be warned, these details may be somewhat disturbing.

“Humane Society International/Korea dog meat campaigners on the scene report that conditions they saw inside the slaughterhouse were horrifying. They found a large number of empty wire pens that would once have held hundreds of dogs, as well as the electrocution equipment used to kill them, knives, and a de-hairing machine. A pile of dead dogs was also found abandoned on the floor.”

According to that press release, 70% of those who live in South Korea do not eat dog meat any longer. The rapid decline in the trade of dog meat is thought to be due to changes in the perception of the public. They were becoming more and more aware of the living conditions of those animals at the slaughterhouse.

HSI has been instrumental in helping dog farmers leave the business voluntarily. They have also been providing advice and training them to do other forms of farming. 13 dog farms have been closed down in the past four years and almost 1600 dogs have been rescued.

Shutting down the slaughterhouse was a long, difficult process but thanks to investigations and pressure put on the political powers, it has come to fruition.

“Its closure is an historical event, and hopefully may trigger the closure of other illegal dog slaughterhouses throughout the country,” Hyunji Kim of the Korea Animal Rights Advocates wrote. “Until we achieve this, we really appreciate the support of both Korean people and global citizens who love animals for helping our campaigns to completely end dog meat in Korea.”

We appreciate knowing that there are people out there who look after animals, regardless of where they are.

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