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ANIMAL WATCH - On Friday November 17, the People Power Party of South Korea proposed a Special Act to ban dog meat. Yu Eui-dong, a member of the Party in the National Assembly, stated: “We are planning to enact a Special Act to ban dog meat within this year to address this issue as soon as possible.” The Special Act will allow for a three-year period to phase out the dog meat industry. The law will require businesses involved with dog meat, such as dog farms, dog butchers, traders, and restaurants, to submit a phaseout plan to local authorities and will provide financial support to those businesses.
The People Power Party is the second largest party in the National Assembly and is the party of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
But there is opposition to the Special Act. Joo Young-bong, head of the Korean Dog Meat Farmers’ Association, said the government proposal is unviable and unsustainable, especially for farmers in their 60’s and 70’s.
Animal rights groups are urging the South Korean (Republic of Korea) National Assembly to quickly pass the bill. Please see the video addressed to the Republic of Korea National Assembly, urging it to ban dog meat.
The introduction to this video states, in Korean and English:
“Dear Members of the Republic of Korea National Assembly,
Right now, you are at a crossroads and faced with a historic decision - a decision that will affect the moral course of the Republic of Korea and its worldwide reputation forever more.
You can either do nothing or you can join the great majority of modernized countries, leave the barbaric traditions of the past, and support the Special Act to End Dog Meat Consumption.
What follows in this video is a short compilation of some of the statements from American friends and allies, asking that you pass the Special Act to End Dog Meat.
There are statements made by Korean War veterans who risked their lives and saw their friends killed to save the lives of your parents, grandparents and families, to save your country.
There are even famous celebrities.
There is a true friend of South Korea, a high-ranking member of the United States Congress, who votes to provide billions of dollars to protect the country from attack and who worked on the armistice.
They are all sincerely asking you to vote to stop killing and eating dogs. Sometimes it is wise to listen to your friends.
Please, watch this short video to hear from these people. We are asking you to do the right thing and vote for the Special Act to End Dog Meat Consumption.”
The video features Korean War Veterans Anthony Melecca and Orville McKinney; Scott Barker, son of Korean War Veteran Eugene Clifford Barker; actresses Priscilla Presley (former wife of Elvis) and Katherine Heigl (Emmy Award winner); Congressman Brad Sherman (former Chair of the House Asia Subcommittee); and others. Thank you to those who appear in the video and to members of the Global Anti-Dog Meat Coalition (see closing credit at 16:30 of video for a listing of the members), and in particular the organization In Defense of Animals.
(Video produced and directed by Jeffrey Mausner, in his individual capacity, who is solely responsible for its content, [email protected].)
For those dog farmers in their 60’s and 70’s who oppose the dog meat ban, as noted above, please see the statements in the video of the Korean War Veterans opposing dog meat. I’m sure you and your parents appreciate what these men did, risking their lives for your country and your families. We hope that you will drop your opposition to the Special Act and accept the compensation the government will offer for the loss of your business.
To learn more about the dog meat trade in South Korea and what you can do to help stop it, please see the following articles in CityWatch:
Progress on Banning Dog Meat In South Korea!, July 6, 2023, Link
Progress In The Fight Against The Dog Meat Trade In South Korea, January 20, 2022, Link
Interview with Giny Woo, KoreanDogs.org Founder: Stopping Dog Meat Trade in S. Korea, July 26, 2021, Link
LA Passes Anti-Dog Meat Resolution Saving Millions of Dogs from Brutal Torture and Death, July 8, 2019, Link
Other articles regarding animal welfare, including articles about dog meat in other countries.
The Special Act to End Dog Meat Consumption in South Korea is not yet the law; it still must be passed by the National Assembly. If you would like to urge the National Assembly to pass the law and take other actions to end dog meat, please see the instructions in the articles referenced above.
(Jeffrey Mausner (www.mausnerlaw.com/) is on the Executive Committee of the Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils (VANC) where he serves as the Liaison to the Los Angeles Animal Services Department; he is 2nd Vice President of the Tarzana Neighborhood Council and Chair of its Animal Welfare Committee; and is a Volunteer at the West Valley Animal Shelter. He was previously a Neighborhood Council Budget Advocate and is now a Budget Representative. He is a retired attorney and law school professor and was formerly a Federal Prosecutor for the U.S. Justice Department, where he received numerous awards from the Attorney General of the U.S. (Link) Jeff is a Featured Writer for CityWatch. His other articles can be found here. In September 2023, Jeff received the Guardian of the Animals Award from the organization In Defense of Animals. (Link) This article is written in his private individual capacity, not on behalf of the Animal Services Department.)
