Animals

 https://secure2.convio.net/ida/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1303

International Day of Action for Dogs and Cats in Korea

Urge Korean PM to Strengthen Animal Protection Laws

A series of shocking cruelties to animals, which are unparalleled and unprecedented to date, were recently reported in Korea. We therefore urge the Korean government to strengthen the Korean Animal Protection Law so that these cruelties can be prevented from happening again. Korea remains one of the few places in the world where dog meat is still eaten. The horrific conditions in which dogs are raised for meat on farms - as documented in Incheon City - are tragically all too common in Korea, as is also the case with pet breeding farms. Please take action and urge the Korean government to introduce a strong, enforceable amendment to the Animal Protection Law.

 (Click here to see photos from the exposés. Warning: some of the pictures are disturbing.) Link = http://www.idausa.org/galleries/dogfarm0603/ko_dogfarmpics.html (Awful images!)

“Korean animal rescue organizations have been working so hard to make dog meat illegal, but the general public's response to the idea of banning dog meat in Korea has been always discouraging. This time is different. No media has ever covered the issue of dog meat this closely before. Many people are still in shock enough to actually do something about it.” --Youngmi Kim, PhD

Recipients

Duk-soo Han

https://secure2.convio.net/ida/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1303

Message

Take Action: Urge Korean Prime Minister to Strengthen Animal Protection Law

Dear  [Decision Maker],

As an official with the power to make a difference, I urge you to please strengthen Korea's Animal Protection Law.

I am appalled and shocked to learn about the cruelties suffered by animals that have been documented in Changsoo-Dong and Sangok-Dong, Incheon City, Korea. Not only are the trade in and consumption of dog meat still common in Korea, but the dogs are raised in the most hideous and cruel environments. Abuse is also prevalent in pet breeding farms and in government-assigned shelters for stray animals.

There is no appropriate animal protection legislation to prevent the prevailing animal cruelty currently taking place in Korea. As someone who believes strongly that animals should not suffer unnecessarily, I am gravely concerned that the proposed amendment to the Animal Protection Law fails to include measures to prevent animal abuse. Therefore I have the following requests.

1. I urge the Korean Government to strengthen the Korean Animal Protection Law to prevent animal cruelty and to introduce basic animal welfare regulations. The amendment seems to be far behind even the level of Taiwan's previous Animal Protection Law, which was revised 10 years ago. The current bill does not stipulate proper protection for companion animals and abandoned animals, nor does it provide welfare policies for laboratory and farm animals. It also does not state any punishment clauses for cruelty violations related to animal experiments, nor does it prohibit killing farm animals by burying them alive. Most critically, amendments must ensure that mistreated animals can be legally seized from abusers and given immediate refuge.

2. I request that the Korean Government withdraw the Policy on Sanitary Management of Dog Meat and create an enforceable law to ban the dog meat trade. The Korean Government must introduce policies to gradually outlaw the sale of dog meat. Without forbidding dog meat consumption and amending the Animal Protection Law to the global standard, Korea will remain a nation stuck in the dark ages.