Law revised to ensure better protection of animal rights, bans dogfight

By Park Sae-jin Posted : March 3, 2017, 15:42 Updated : March 3, 2017, 15:42

[Iclickart]



Dogfight will be banned under a new law passed by South Korea's parliament that contained stricter regulations and harsher legal punishment than before to protect animal rights.

The revised animal protection law passed by the National Assembly Friday calls for a two-year jail term or a fine to 20 million won (17,467 US dollars) to punish animal abuse, up from one year or a fine of 10 million won, in response to growing public awareness of animal rights, the agriculture ministry said.

To enhance hygiene and prevent ill-treatment of dogs, pet dog "factories" are required to get state licenses, it said in a statement. But the controversial issue of butchering dogs and selling canine meat was not mentioned.

Eating dogs have settled as a Korean tradition for ages, but the population of eating dog meat has dropped dramatically in recent years thanks to an active campaign by animal lovers.

Dog meat lovers and restaurants claim that eating dog is nothing different from eating beef, pork, or horse meat, while activists want a complete halt to the deep-rooted practice because dogs are bred in meat farms and slaughtered in a cruel and unhygienic way.

The current law prohibits butchering an animal in front of other animals and requires quickest and painless methods in butchering. Dog meat farms and slaughter yards are not subject to the Sanitary Control of Livestock Products Act because dogs are not defined as livestock for consumption.

The good news was brought by Mayor Lee Jae-myung in Seoul's southern satellite city of Seongnam who has led a campaign to remove dog meat vendors at the city's notorious Moran market for live animals.

The market has supplied almost one-third of all dog meat consumed in South Korea with some 80,000 dogs being traded each year. Live dogs are kept in cages for customers to pick out. Animal lovers have slammed the market for using brutal methods to slaughter animals, including electrocution, hanging and beating.

Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com


 
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