When the coronavirus was associated with zoonotic disease and awareness of Wuhan's animal markets, campaigners fought for the rights of dogs that were sold in markets and the endangered pangolin. In a similar manner, the United States-based charity Lady Freethinker (LFT) captured footage from a dog auction house in South Korea.
The Nakwon Auction House is believed to be the last remaining underground business selling dog meat, said LFT. Ironically, Nakwon roughly translates to "paradise."
An underground investigator uncovered the horrors of more than 200 dogs in metal cages and crates. The helpless animals would be attached to a metal hook while alive as most of the dogs would be sold within hours.
Inside the Dog Auction House
Buyers would look around to pick from the range of dog breeds available for sale. The auction house is a large residential area that is marketed as a dog breeding facility.
The dogs are either hung or electrocuted before being butchered, shared LFT. They are also kept in poor conditions where three or four dogs are cramped in each cage.
LFT has been campaigning for dog meat trading to end in South Korea for the past 30 years. They have also partnered with Save Korean Dogs with taxi advertisements with the label "Dogs are not food but family."
LFT founder Nina Jackal shared how shocked she was that a large-scale dog meat auction facility still exists today. "'Dogs suffer immensely in inhumane conditions as they're raised for meat and when they're slaughtered."
Most Korean populations do not eat meat anymore, especially the younger generation who have dogs as pets. LFT is urging the government "to end this cruel and outdated trade for good," added Jackal.
According to the Korean Animal Welfare Association, 12% of respondents to a nationwide poll said that they regularly consume dog meat. 41% used to eat dog meat but no longer purchase or consume it.
The organization believes that up to one million dogs are killed every year. In 2015, the Statistical Information Service in 2015 found over 500,000 dogs held in facilities for dog meat or pet trade.
Beliefs And Traditions of Dog Meat
Some of the traditional dishes made from dog meat are spiced dog soup (bosintang), believed to cool down the body, or a tonic as traditional medicine. The tonic is believed to have a range of health benefits including getting rid of lethargy.
For these reasons, the dog meat trade is most popular before the year's hottest months, also called "boknal." However, there is no clinical evidence that consuming dog meat affects the body's temperature.
In China, they have similar traditions with thousands of dogs largely bred and sold in public markets. They even hold the yearly Yulin Dog Meat Festival, where it is believed that eating dog meat during the summer brings good fortune and well-being.
However, China's agricultural ministry has officially removed dogs from the national list of livestock this year, reclassifying them as pets. The new guidelines for wildlife were influenced by the coronavirus pandemic, but efforts continue to completely stop the illegal dog meat trade across the country.
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