Iaka/Kaps UK Demo-July 16

[Guest guest]

PLEASE JOIN US IN LONDON ON JULY 16TH TO HELP END THE

HORROR!

 

Demonstration to protest South Korea’s illegal

dog-meat trade

 

When: Monday, July 16, 2001, 11:30 a.m.

 

Where: We will meet at the Korean Embassy, 60

Buckingham Gate, and proceed first to the Prime

Minister’s residence at 10 Downing St, and then to the

House of Commons.

 

Contact:

In the U.K.:

IAKA/KAPS, c/o Denise Potter

Flat 13, Christchurch, Kew Road, Richmond, TW9 2PN, UK

e-mail: denise

 

International inquiries:

International Aid for Korean Animals

P.O. Box 20600, Oakland, CA 94620-0600, USA

Tel: +1-510-271-6795, Fax: +1-510-451-0643

e-mail: iaka

website: http://www.koreananimals.org

 

The demonstration will feature a special guest, the

dog Hope. Last November, Britain’s ITN Channel 5

traveled to Korea to film a documentary on the dog

markets. In one of the markets, ITN reporter Mark

Jordan rescued a dog headed for the slaughterhouse and

named him Hope. Hope was brought to England and was

released from quarantine on April 24, and he will be

marching at the front of our demonstration as a living

representative of the loving and highly intelligent

dogs who are bred for food or stolen from pet owners

in South Korea.

 

Goal of the Demonstration

The demonstration is intended to highlight the Korean

Government’s failure to enforce its own Animal

Protection Law banning cruelty to animals and the

Ministry of Health Law that bans Dog Meat Stew as a

“disgusting food,” not intended for human consumption.

The Korea Animal Protection Society in Korea and its

sister organization, International Aid for Korean

Animals in California, have called for worldwide

demonstrations until the Korean government enforces

the laws and ends the dog and cat meat trade. July 16

is the first of three “Bok Days” (hot dog days”) of

the summer, which Koreans believe are the optimal time

for reaping the benefits of eating dog meat. On these

three days, more dog meat is consumed than at any

other time.

 

The Problem

Each year, millions of dogs and hundreds of thousands

of cats are tortured, killed, and eaten in South Korea

in the name of mythical health benefits. Despite the

disclaimers of scientists, many Koreans continue to

believe that dog-meat stew (boshintang) enhances male

virility and that cat juice (goyangi soju) eases

rheumatism. The plight of these animals is horrific.

Raised in rural farms or urban backyards, dog spend

their entire lives in cramped wire cages where they

suffer from dehydration and hunger, exposure to the

elements, unsanitary conditions, and abuse. Then they

are dragged from their cages and deliberately tortured

to death. Most dogs are hung, bludgeoned with pipes or

hammers, or electrocuted. A blowtorch is used to burn

the hair off and brown the skin, sometimes while the

dog is still alive. These violent methods of killing

are thought to both tenderize the flesh and improve

its aphrodisiacal qualities by stimulating the release

of adrenaline. The more the dog suffers, the more

flavorful and beneficial the meat is thought to be.

Cats are also consumed in S. Korea. Pets and strays

are often killed by being placed in sacks and pounded

against the ground. Sometimes, while still alive, the

cats are thrown into large pots of boiling water and

cooked with ginger, dates, and chestnuts until

liquefied into “cat juice,” which dealers claim will

cure rheumatism.

 

Creating Change

By rallying together to protest these abuses, we have

been able to make effective change. Through

international protests the Korean government passed

the Animal Protection Law in 1991. If we show our

support of the companion animals of Korea, we can

expect effective amendments to the existing Law and

the end to the torture, slaughter, and consumption of

dogs and cats in Korea.

 

About IAKA/KAPS

International Aid for Korean Animals and Korea Animal

Protection Society are the only two groups that focus

exclusively on the plight of companion animals in

Korea. As sister organizations, they work hand in

hand: IAKA raises funds and promotes awareness within

the international community, while KAPS provides

animal rescue and welfare services, lobbies, and

organizes protest demonstrations within Korea.

Together, they seek to put an end to the torturing,

slaughter, and consumption of dogs and cats in Korea.

 

Kyenan Kum

www.koreananimals.org

E-mail: iaka

International Aid for Korean Animals & Korean Animal

Protection Society

P.O. Box 20600

Oakland, CA 94620-0600

Tel.: (510) 271-6795, Fax: (510) 451-0643

 

*Print out petitions from

http://www.koreananimals.org/campaign.htm!*

 

 

 

 

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