South Korean 2011 Dog Meat Festival Cancelled
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

In Defense of Animals (IDA)
July 2011

[Ed. Note: How many Americans are horrified at the thought of a "festival" celebrating eating dog meat while they prepare for their 4th of July festival centered around pig, chicken, cow barbeques?]

He said there are about 600 farms raising dogs for meat in South Korea, where their meat has long been eaten and dog soup, or Boshintang, is a summer delicacy.

"South Korean Dog Meat Festival Cancelled Due To Protests" according to an AFP article published this week, a South Korean "dog meat festival" has been cancelled, following protests from animal rights activists.

As one of the organizers told the AFP, "We couldn't possibly go on with the plan due to endless phone calls of complaint."

From AFP (June 27, 2011):

SEOUL — A South Korean dog meat festival has been cancelled following growls of protest from animal rights activists, one of the would-be organisers said Tuesday. The Korea Dog Farmers' Association had scheduled for Friday a festival aimed at promoting traditional dog meat consumption, said Ann Yong-Geun, an adviser to the association.

"We couldn't possibly go on with the plan due to endless phone calls of complaint... now there are few willing to rent us a place for the event," Ann, a professor of nutrition at Chung Cheong University, told AFP.

The association had said the festival, to be held in a traditional open-air market in the city of Seongnam just south of Seoul, would showcase various canine delicacies including barbecued dog, sausages and steamed paws.

The event at the market, well known for selling dogs for meat, would also have featured products such as cosmetics and spirits with canine ingredients.

Ann said the festival would have displayed video clips and pictures of farms raising dogs under sanitary conditions, contrary to public perceptions.

He said there are about 600 farms raising dogs for meat in South Korea, where their meat has long been eaten and dog soup, or Boshintang, is a summer delicacy.

But growing numbers of Koreans oppose the practice and consider it an international embarrassment.

The planned festival stirred fury from South Korean animal rights groups and many Internet users.

"This is making our country an international laughing stock, and making the whole world mistakenly believe that all South Koreans eat dogs," said Park So-Youn, head of Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth.

The group led online campaigns to force cancellation of the festival.

"Canines are the animals emotionally closest to humans. You can't just publicly celebrate killing and eating them," Park said.


Return to Animal Rights Articles