Korean Animal Protection Society - A Government Breakthrough ?

[Guest guest]

http://www.k9magazine.com/viewarticle.php?sid=14 & aid=406 & vid=0 & npage=

 

Korean Animal Protection Society - A Government

Breakthrough ?

 

A New Government Report Outlines Plans for Better

Amendment to the 1991 Animal Protection Law for Next

Year.

 

As readers of K9 Magazine will know, the Korean Animal

Protection Society (KAPS) have been working hard

campaigning for the rights of Korean dogs and raising

awareness of animal welfare issues in Korea.

 

Over 2004, the society have been pressuring the Korean

Government to stop a draft animal welfare bill from

moving forward as they believed the legislation

contained within the bill did not go far enough and

certain definitions did not serve the welfare of all

dogs well enough.

 

The Korean government, it would appear, have taken

notice and sent a 20-page report to KAPS for review.

The report outlines new plans explaining what the

Government will do for next year about amending the

1991 Animal Protection Law (deleting the term " pet

animal " as a definition - which the society regards as

a term open to abuse).

 

KAPS will be keeping you informed about how

negotiations are going, so they can apply the right

pressure, at the right time, to get the best amendment

draft possible.

 

Therefore, KAPS urge people to withhold any protests

or demonstrations against the Government of Korean in

relation to animal welfare until negotiations have

taken their next steps.

 

The society adds; " We haven't been encouraging

demonstrations these past years because they have not

been effective and our talks with the Korean

government and our letter writing campaigns have been

more effective " .

 

" Thank you so much for all your wonderful support and

compassion. Below is a translation excerpt summarizing

the government's report " .

 

This is a further bout of good news for Korean dogs

who's fortunes could be looking far brighter thanks to

the tireless work of KAPS and Korea's largest company,

Samsung, who have put in place many welfare and

awareness programs aimed to educate and promote the

values of dogs as companions rather than food in

Korean society.

 

Below is a summary of the Government report handed to

KAPS for review.

----

 

Report Summary

 

The Ministry of Agriculture sent KAPS Comprehensive

Measures for Animal Protection for our review. The

Measures are understood to form the basis of the new

draft Amendment being prepared by the Ministry of

Agriculture. The professed emphasis of the

Comprehensive Measures for Animal Protection is on

raising the effectiveness of Animal Abuse Prevention

Systems, strengthening protection/ management of stray

animals and lab animals, and making those who own or

sell animals more accountable to the occurrence of

stray animals and its impacts on public health and

safety.

 

The measures specified in the document still save the

positive aspects of the previous draft Amendment. The

penalties for abusing animals, for instance, is much

stronger compared with the 1991 Animal Protection Law.

(It is proposed that the abuser will receive prison

sentence up to 6 months and the amount of fine payable

is 10 times more than the previously set amount.)

Efforts will be made to reduce the number of strays

and regulate pet animals sales business.

 

One crucial and encouraging difference is that there

is no mention of the definition of pet animals, which

could have provided legal justification for the

distinction between pet dogs/cats and food dogs/cats.

In the previous draft, the introduction of the

definition of pet animals formed one of 6 major

contents in the Amendment. Together with the phone

call Sunnan received, we are very hopeful that the

Ministry of Agriculture actually decided not to

attempt to protect the interests of dog and cat eaters

through Animal Protection Law. Our optimism is

strengthened by the fact that Comprehensive Measures

for Animal Protection make it a duty to register dogs

or cats for anyone who breeds or sells them, not just

for those who breeds or sells them as companion

animals.

 

The Measures also use the term 'companion animals'

instead of 'pet animalsEand makes it a duty of a

local government to provide facilities to protect

stray animals. It also defines, as animal abuse,

dogfights, dog racing, and killing stray animals for

food. As such, the new Amendment will be an

improvement to the current Animal Protection Law. The

below are major changes from the current Animal

Protection law.

 

Acts of animal abuse are specified and penalties for

committing animal abuse are strengthened. Specific

examples of animal abuse are to be provided in the

Amendment. Dog fighting, dog racing, and giving away

animals as a prize in a competition are also defined

as animal abuse.

 

An Animal Protection Inspection System will be

introduced. The qualifications for and the powers of

Animal Protection Inspectors will be specified in the

Amendment.

 

Those who want to run businesses that sell companion

animals for profit (includes businesses that breed pet

animals) should report to the Mayor or County

Magistrate.

 

Those who sell animals are not allowed to sell animals

that are too young and should hand the health

certificate (or the vaccination certificate) to the

purchaser of the animals when carrying out sales

transaction.

 

Securing a stray animal protection facility is a duty

of the head of the local government. The Animal

Protection Law will state that cities with population

over 500,000 should provide and run facilities of a

certain size that will be specified. Catching stray

animals to sell them for food or killing them will be

regarded as animal abuse and will be punishable by

law. It is, however, permitted to euthanasia stray

animals for unavoidable reasons, including cases of

disease or serious wounds.

 

A lab animals management system will be established.

Those who set up laboratories will be required to

report to the head of the Medical Inspection

Institution. Facility standards for labs to protect

animals and prevent accidents will be specified. Ways

of limiting unnecessary animal experiment and banning

animal experiment for luxury items will be considered.

 

Animal Protection education will be strengthened.

Primary school and Kindergarten children will be given

related education to discourage the purchase of

companion animals for mere curiosity.

 

Amendment schedule: Consult related organizations and

draw up Amendment, mid October, 2004; Consult related

departments and notify legislation in advance, between

mid October and mid November, 2004; Parliament

submission, March, 2005; and Enforcement, 2006.

 

----

Kyenan Kum

 

International Aid for Korean Animals

Korea Animal Protection Society

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

www.koreananimals.org

iaka

(Tel.) 510-271-6795

(Fax) 510-451-0643

 

USEFUL LINKS:

 

ARTICLE: Electronics Giant Helps South Korean

Quarantine System

 

www.koreananimals.org

 

www.samsung.com

 

MAGAZINE LINK: A Brighter Future For Korean Dogs? An

insight into the canine welfare campaigns taking place

in Korea spearheaded by Electronics company, Samsung -

Article Appears In The Autumn 2004 Issue of K9

Magazine - Subscribe >>

 

K9 Magazine, 2003. All rights reserved.

Email: webmaster