Yahoo – AFP,
Hwang Sung-Hee, 27 April 2016
 |
Dogs sit in
a cage as they are rescued from a dog meat farm by the US-based
Humane Society
International in Wonju (AFP Photo/Ed Jones)
|
"It's
a dying business," Gong In-Young said Wednesday as he watched US activists
clear out the cages of the South Korean dog meat farm he has been running for
the past decade.
Close to
200 dogs, including Golden Retrievers, Siberian Huskies, Rottweilers, Japanese
Tosas and Korean Jindo dogs, paced in circles inside the small wire cages,
barking furiously at their rescuers.
The dogs in
Gong's farm, one of thousands across the country, were bred specifically for
consumption and confined in their cages from birth until slaughtered for their
meat.
South
Koreans are believed to consume somewhere between 1.5 million-2.5 million dogs
every year, but the meat farming industry is in decline, with little demand
among the younger generation.
Gong's
business is the fifth and the largest dog meat farm to be closed down by the
US-based Humane Society International (HSI), and Gong said he was happy to get
out.
"In
the past, people ate dogs because there was nothing else to eat but nowadays,
young people don't have to eat it," Gong said. "It's becoming weird
for people," he added.
 |
Lola Webber
of Humane Society International transport dogs in crates during the
closure of
a dog meat farm in Wonju (AFP Photo/Ed Jones)
|
Changing
tastes
A poll
conducted by Gallup Korea last year showed that only 20 percent of men in their
20s consumed dog meat in the past year, compared to half of those in their 50s
and 60s.
Gong also
noted that the increasing popularity of dogs as domestic pets had played a
large part in reducing demand for their meat.
The HSI rescued
a total of 225 dogs last year, closing down four farms in what they call a
"constructive and collaborative" approach to phase out an industry
that has long been criticised by international animal welfare groups.
Most of the
dogs are flown to the United States and Canada for adoption.
In return
for shuttering his business for good, a farmer receives up to $60,000 --
depending on the number of dogs being bred -- that can be used as seed money
for a more "humane" farm, growing anything from blueberries to green
peppers.
Through its
well-publicised rescues, HSI seeks to raise awareness about the cruelty of dog
meat farms and "initiate a conversation with South Korean
policymakers," the group's campaign manager Andrew Plumbly said.
 |
Dogs sit in
a cage as they are rescued from a dog meat farm by the US-based
Humane Society
International in Wonju (AFP Photo/Ed Jones)
|
South Korea
is preparing to host the 2018 Winter Olympics, and Plumbly said the global
publicity surrounding the event provided an opportunity to push for change.
Olympics
spotlight
"Part
of the spotlight will touch on the dog meat trade so they may feel pressure in
that regard and hopefully they will respond constructively," he said.
The South
Korean authorities are sensitive to the negative publicity attached to the dog
meat industry, and dog restaurants in Seoul were shut down ahead of the 1988
summer Olympics.
Gong, who
stumbled into the dog meat industry after many failed business attempts, admits
he was "never proud" of his farm, which only ever earned him a modest
living.
In a normal
year, he would sell around 200 animals, with an average price -- depending on
size -- of about $200.
 |
Adam
Parascondola of Humane Society International comforts a dog during an
operation
to shut down a dog meat farm in Wonju (AFP Photo/Ed Jones)
|
"I
realised the dogs will become a lot happier if I changed my mind," Gong
said, while Snow, his pet Spitz, sauntered between rows of crates with dogs
awaiting their departure.
Running a
dog farm in South Korea requires no special licence, although Gong said there
were regular government checks to ensure neighbours weren't being disturbed and
dog waste was being properly disposed of.
Asked to
compare the living conditions of Snow and the dogs in the cages, Gong admitted:
"It's the difference between heaven and hell."
Related Article:
Volunteers pose for photos with their trainee guide dogs during a campaign to mark Int'l Guide Dogs Day, in Seoul pic.twitter.com/UxZ9PnlGfy— AFP news agency (@AFP) April 27, 2016
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