Dog meat - the RSPCA's position

[Guest guest]

Dear Sandra

 

In response to your letter I should like to point out that the RSPCA has never

advocated the legalisation of the dog and cat meat trade in Korea. On the

contrary, we have consistently opposed such moves since Representative Kim Hong

Shin and other legislators put forward a legalisation bill in 1999. At that time

I drafted a protest letter to Korean ministers, co-signed by IFAW, WSPA

and HSUS/HSI. As you can see from the extract below, our position on this issue

reflects the very concerns you express in your letter:

-------

(quote) Both the scale and nature of the slaughter of dogs for consumption in

Korea deeply disturb us. The cruel conditions under which dogs are currently

being bred, transported and slaughtered are well documented, and we have seen no

evidence that legalisation of this practice would lead to an improvement in

standards. We strongly oppose the elimination of current legal protection for

dogs on the following grounds:

 

- there is no internationally accepted humane method for the slaughter of dogs

for food

 

- dog traders in Korea intentionally kill animals in a painful manner to

'enhance' the quality of the meat

 

- legalisation of this practice may result in a rise in the consumption of dog

meat and a corresponding increase in the number of animals subjected to inhumane

treatment.(end quote)

-------

As the RSPCA is not in a position to dictate which species are food animals, in

theory we can have no objection to the humane rearing and slaughter of dogs. In

practice, however, no humane method has been developed and - given the Korean

government's failure to act against this cruel trade over the last twenty years

- we have no reason to believe that one would, or could, be found. At no time

has the RSPCA put forward legalisation as a compromise.

 

Hong Kong, the Philippines and Taiwan - all areas where dog meat has been eaten

in the past - have recently passed legislation banning its consumption. They

have done so partly out of concern for their international image, but largely in

response to increasing revulsion from local people. We believe that as more

Koreans become aware of the cruelty involved, opposition to the dog and cat meat

trade will grow and a ban will eventually follow. So we maintain our protests to

the Korean authorities as a reminder that the international animal welfare

community finds this trade unacceptable, while supporting the growing opposition

led by IAKA/KAPS and other domestic groups (the RSPCA's website www.rspca.org.uk

refers visitors to KAPS).

 

In 1999 the RSPCA - with the support of the Korean Ministry of Education - held

a three-day course in animal welfare education for secondary school teachers

from across the country. The forty participants discussed ways of raising

awareness of animal cruelty and created materials for use in their classes. In

December 2001 we plan to hold a course for Korean animal and environment NGOs

with the aim of strengthening their campaigning and lobbying skills.

 

Both the international organisations and Korean groups are fundamentally opposed

to the dog meat trade. We may not employ the same tactics, but we have the same

goal and do our best to coordinate our efforts, emphasising our points of

agreement rather than where we differ.

 

I hope this clarifies any misunderstandings about the RSPCA's position on this

issue.

 

Sincerely

 

Paul Littlefair

East Asia Programme Manager

RSPCA International

 

Tel (international): +44 1403 793 359

Fax (international): +44 1403 238 359

 

Tel (from the UK): 0870 7540 359

Fax (from the UK): 0870 7530 359

 

Address:

RSPCA International

Wilberforce Way

Southwater

Horsham

West Sussex

RH13 7WN

UK

 

RSPCA website: http://www.rspca.org.uk

 

 

 

>>> " sandra edwards " <sheba 15/09/01 22:55:58 >>>

I was shocked to read of WSPA's and the RSPCA's intention to press for a bill

to have dogs classified as livestock for meat, I dont think they dont have any

right to take this upon themselves, people worldwide are striving for the

government to enforce its own animal protection laws, surely if dog meat was

legalized it would become more popular, and dog eating would increase

horrendously, resulting in thousands more of dog breeding farms shooting up, how

could wspa then turnaround and and say, no, they have more to offer as pets than

food afterall, who by then would listen to them?

If wspa & rspca press for legalization they undermine the Dr Dog work being done

with orgs such as animal asia & others, I go with Kyenan Kum and Sunnan who are

strongly opposed to legalizing dog meat, & believe it would be a major setback

in trying to establish dogs as companion animals, and in that millions more dogs

would be killed and eaten each year,

to say it would be regulated and done humanely if legal, our abottoirs in the

U.K are nothing to boast of and dont get it right every time, also, look at the

outcry over the cruel inhumanity in dealing with livestock with foot & mouth

here in the u.k due entirely to the overwhelming millions being slaughtered

were to much to deal with, if dog meat was legal and commerciliased in korea the

many millions of dogs being processed would be to overwhelming to be slaughtered

or regulated properly, and who can believe that every single slaughterer in

korea, would slaughter according to regulations or humanely, (how can there be a

humane way to slaughter dogs?) every single dog, every single time, they wouldnt

care,

then there's the100k superdog thats been bred & they aim to get to 200k, by

professor hum-dai park,

sorry for going on, I feel this is the easy way out, but not for these pitiful

dogs, I feel we would be condemming them to where it could never end.

Sandra

 

 

 

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