Worldwide protests today against South Korea’s torture and consumption of dogs and cats
‘From birth to slaughter, these dogs are kept in cramped rusty, cages stacked on top of each other. The method of slaughter is usually extremely (and even intentionally) brutal, and the dogs are often butchered in full view of the others,” according to Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) / Photo: Korean Animal Rights Advocates (KARA)
By Katerina Lorenzatos Makris
Today is one of the Bok Days in South Korea—the lunar calendar’s designated three hottest days of summer. It’s also one of the darkest days for the nation’s dogs and cats, according to Rosalyn Morrison.
Morrison, legislative assistant in government and legal affairs for Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) said, “Consumption of dog meat increases during South Korea’s scorching hot summers because dog meat enthusiasts believe that eating the meat keeps one cool. This is particularly evident during Bok Days.”
Today from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. AWI will join with In Defense of Animals (IDA) in Washington D.C. to rally in support of a proposed South Korean law to prohibit the production and sale of dog and cat meat.
Morrison told Animal Issues Reporter that the groups will “march up Massachusetts Avenue to the South Korean Embassy. We hope that these gestures, along with accompanying media attention, will emphasize to the South Korean government that the international community—like the majority of Koreans—disapproves of the superstition-driven torture of dogs and cats.”
Similar demonstrations will take place worldwide, said Morrison.
During a time when she lived in South Korea, Morrison she became aware of the dog and cat meat issue, and found that many Koreans shared her concerns about it.
“I came to realize that this is not a matter of cultural differences,” she said. “It is a matter of animal welfare and protection. Accordingly, this event is not intended to be a form of cultural criticism, but rather an expression of support for the protection and welfare of South Korea’s dogs and cats.”
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Katerina Lorenzatos Makris is a career journalist, author, and editor. Credits include hundreds of articles for regional wire services and for outlets such as National Geographic Traveler, The San Francisco Chronicle, Travelers’ Tales, NBC’s Petside.com, and Examiner.com (Animal Policy Examiner), a teleplay for CBS-TV, a short story for The Bark magazine, and 17 novels for Avon, E.P. Dutton, Simon and Schuster, and other major publishers.
Together with coauthor Shelley Frost, Katerina wrote a step-by-step guide for hands-on, in-the-trenches dog rescue, Your Adopted Dog: Everything You Need to Know About Rescuing and Caring for a Best Friend in Need (The Lyons Press).
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Did this march do any good?
I wonder as well, It seems to me no matter how many times we protest, Korea just ignores the international community. To much corruption in the government that are benefiting from the illegal abuses of all animals including the companion babies.