It’s known as Gaegogi in South Korea, and there is a long history in that country and other East Asian countries of consuming dog and cat meat.
According to this petition in Change.org which is seeking to get dog and cat meat and tonic made from them, pulled off restaurant menus within South Korea, the conditions these critters endure are horrific.
Dogs and cats are loaded into small rusty cages sometimes 25 at a time from which they await the executioner. Dogs and cats are consumed in Korea for their supposedly medicinal properties that has no proven evidence at all to back these claims up.
Cat juice better referred to as goyangi is also another hideous and appalling method of slaughtering felines. Goyangi – Cat; is mashed into a liquid. Then drunk as a tonic in the hope it will cure some human ailment or make one much stronger.
Other dishes that are consumed in the market and outside are Bosintang; Gaejangguk – Stew containing boiled dog meat and vegetables, Gaegogi Jeongol, – An elaborate dog stew made in a large Jeongol pan. Gae Suyuk,- Boiled dog meat, Gaegogi Muchim, – Steamed dog meat, Korean leeks and vegetables mixed with spices, Gaesoju- Mixed drink containing dog meat and other Chinese medicine ingredients such as ginger, chestnut, and jujube to invigorate one’s health.
Say No To Dog Meat are campaigning via many ways from which we aim to raise before 2015 at least one million signatures in an attempt to close this market down and/or remove dog and cat meat of the menu for good, and increasing animal welfare laws. Say No To Dog Meat’s 7 Point plan that will be addressed to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and President of South Korea is listed below.
7 point plan to aid animal welfare / introduction off new legislation;
1. Removal off dog and cat meat/ tonic from restaurant menus within South Korea.
2. Moran meat market; to remove all dogs and cats and allow welfare officers in to aid ill and dying animals, alleviate any suffering and re-home remaining animals. Whilst this would be a colossal operation dog and cat fosters/adopters and/or/ re-homing centres to be increased in size to allow for any excess over flow off dog and cats that are taken from the market.
3. Standards of welfare and animal abuse laws (any existing laws) altered and made stronger for both animal and human health thus reducing viral and infectious disease.
4. Dog meat farms to be closed down, animal welfare officers to be brought in to alleviate suffering, increase welfare, locate and re-home any remaining canine and feline.
5. Dog meat traffickers to be punished to the highest possible tariff, with repeat offenders imprisoned and/or fined heavily.
6. Call on the Culture and Tourism Minister – Yoo Jin-ryong as well as President Park Geun-hye to now engage animal and conservation organisations to adopt a programme thus creating awareness and education that will push people to healthier alternatives and provide more vegetarianism, safer and environmentally friendly foods.
7. Say No To Dog Meat.Net is fighting to end the barbaric dog and meat trade, however as an animal welfare organisation it believes they have a responsibility to now push for higher “all animal” welfare laws, standards and provisions.
h/t: Change.org, Say No to Dog Meat
