Humane Society International/Korea joins other Korean animal groups in rescuing more than 80 dogs in South Korea as the local authorities shut down Gupo dog meat market in Busan, one of the country’s largest markets selling dog meat and live dogs. The market will be developed into a community park as part of a regeneration plan.
On July 1, 2019, the Busan Dog Meat Market in South Korea was shut down and more than 80 healthy dogs were rescued from the dog meat market.
The Gupo dog meat market in Busan, South Korea, was one of the biggest dog meat markets in the country.
Officials confirmed that over 80 dogs were rescued on July 1.
The dog meat vendors are going to get offered compensation to set up a different business.
The dogs that were rescued from the dog market are currently under the care of Humane Society International (HSI), Korean Animal Welfare Association (KAWA), Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA), and Busan Korean Alliance for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (KAPCA).
The Humane Society International (HSI), Korean Animal Welfare Association (KAWA), Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA), and Busan Korean Alliance for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (KAPCA) worked closely with the authorities during the operation.
Nara Kim, a dog meat campaigner for the Humane Society International, said, “I cannot express enough my joy at helping to close down the dog meat shops and slaughterhouse at Gupo market. For decades they have stood as a very public symbol of the immense cruelty of the dog meat trade, with live dogs displayed in cages on the street for shoppers to select for slaughter by electrocution.”
She added, “The closure of Gupo’s dog meat market means the end of a gruesome era in South Korea’s dog meat history, and a sign of the times that law enforcement and local authorities are cracking down on this increasingly unpopular industry that most Koreans want nothing to do with. I know we have a long way to go to end the dog meat trade here, but even two years ago I would never have believed we would see such progress. It has been a pleasure to work with the Busan authorities, and especially in being able to save the last remaining dogs we found alive.”
The dogs that have been rescued from the dog meat market have been transported to a temporary shelter where they will be recovering.
According to HIS, a number of dogs will stay in Korea and the other dogs will be flown to Canada or the United States.
It is estimated that there are more than 2 million dogs that are being bred for dog meat on farms all over South Korea.
The Humane Society International is continuing to work with dog meat farmers so they could close these farms and can help them choose a different business to be in.
A Korean Animal Rights Advocate, Yim Soonrye, said, “The Korean dog meat industry is starting to fall. As local governments are moving forward, the Korean government must also take action by closing all illegal dog farms.”
Yim added, “We welcome the decision made by Busan Metropolitan City and the merchants of Gupo, and believe that the shutdown of Gupo dog market will be a major stepping stone towards ending dog meat in Korea.”
This is considered as the later victory in the ongoing fight against the dog meat trade in the country.
Last year in November 2018, the largest dog slaughterhouse in the country was demolished.