Korean Dog Meat Trade...a step forward?

[Tobi]

Last Tuesday a decision was announced by Seongnam City Government in Korea, and the Vendors Association, to abolish the slaughter of dogs and butchery facilities at Moran Market.

All is not solved of course, with that decision, but I for one do look on it as a positive step forward.

Read more: (one sad picture but no gruesome pictures):

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=2...dium=email

[Catherine]

This is really big. It is the first step towards ending the dog meat trade. It is an admission that many are not comfortable with the slaughter of dogs in  the market. The market wants to clean up its image and modernize and the dog meat vendors don't fit that plan. That is the opposite of defending the dog eating as a tradition.

Once there has been one place that has shut down dog meat vendors, others will follow. I think dog meat will still be available for years to come, but it will stop being mainstream and it will not be practiced out in public.

Victories come in stages.

[LPC]

"It supplies one third of all dog meat consumed in the country."

That is indeed significant. Great news! Good find, Tobi!

[Catherine]

I think we are seeing the beginning of the end for a brutal industry.  There must be a real shift in thinking for them to shut down the vendors like that.

It is important that we keep pushing against the dog meat industry. If one country changes then the others will be influenced by that change. It may be too early for any real celebrations, but we have cause to be happy. Some day there will be no more dogs killed by cruel vendors.

[Tobi]

This move may be as a result of worldwide pressure, and the Koreans don't wish to be seen as pariahs for any reason. However, north and south Korea are different situations...
But let us hope this marks a huge change, not only there but hopefully elsewhere too.

[Catherine]

I agree that world pressure is having an effect. All the petitions and protests are working.

There is the Olympics coming up. They  know the world will be watching. They don't want the images the world sees to be the dog meat vendors butchering dogs in the street. We have to keep pushing so change will be permanent and so it will spread.