puzzled!
IF I TOLD YOU
that in South Korea, cats and dogs are killed for food,
WHAT WOULD YOU THINK?
If I told you In South Korea, it is common to eat dogs. This is not done in a humane manner, but by torturing them to death by hanging, strangulation, and beatings with such objects as bricks, large rocks, heavy rod-like objects and electrocution. They do this for long periods of time in order to terrorize and cause great suffering to the animal. They die a very slow and painful death. This brutal execution is done to dogs, because many South Koreans believe the flesh from a dog who is tortured to death has aphrodisiac qualities and tastes better. Some South Koreans torture cats by hitting them on the head repeatedly with hammers, by placing them in sacks which are then pounded on the ground, or by other methods that produce slow and painful death. Dead cats are cooked along with ginger, dates and chestnuts to make a brown paste or “Liquid Cat” which is foolishly thought by many South Koreans to be a remedy for rheumatism and joint problems,”
A dog stew, called Poshintang, is commonly available in restaurants in Seoul and the rest of the country. As an ingredient, dog
is not as ubiquitous as beef is in the U.S.; it is considered to be something of a delicacy. Traditionally, it has been a seasonal favorite, most popular
in the summer. Dogmeat is also purported to be effective as a male stimulant, increasing sexual stamina, even though there is no scientific literature
to support this claim.
Even before the Olympics, there was concern that foreign visitors to Seoul might be offended by restaurants offering dog meat. The Ministry of Health and
Welfare ordered measures to prevent such a conflict. In 1986, a ban was placed on the sale of dog meat as an “unseemly” food. The practical result was
that most restaurants in city limits replaced signs offering dog meat with smaller, less conspicuous versions, or they renamed the dish to “health stew.”
This did not prevent criticism. “How can a nation that will cheerfully eat its best friend be relied upon to host a small dinner party, let alone the Olympic
Games?”
In spite of this kind of pressure, dog meat sales continue. There are plans to open two dog slaughterhouses on Chejun Island, 450 km south of Seoul.
One
entrepreneur has opened a chain of dog meat restaurants. China Trading, the company behind the new restaurant chain, estimates there are now about 20,000
dog meat restaurnats throughout the country. It says one restaurant can rack up sales of 10 million won (about US$6020) a day during peak dog eating season
from April to July.
In the U.S., the estimated number of animals euthanized ranges from 6-150 million per year. If half of the number is composed of dogs, that leaves a lot
of potential meat to be exported. Legally, the only barrier would be the Animal Welfare Act, a federal law that covers any “live or dead dog, cat, nonhuman
primate, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, or any other warm-blooded animal which is being used, or is intended for use for research, teaching, testing, experimentation
or exhibition purposes. The USDA interprets the act to exclude birds, rats, and mice bred for research, and horses and other farm animals, such as livestock
and poultry, used or intended for use as food or fiber.” It is conceivable that dogs raised as livestock would be excluded as well, once it is established
that they are being raised as food.
