(KR) The End of a Korean Dog’s Life

[Guest guest]

The End of a Korean Dog’s Life

Brian Lee

15 April 2008

 

Seoul may soon designate dogs as livestock, which is what the animals already

are at a popular dog-meat market

 

" Whap. Whap. Whap. "

 

" That's not it. Let's try another, " says the dog handler while lifting a long

metal rod to hit another dog's back.

 

Navigating the rod expertly between the bars of a cage where a dozen dogs are

herded together, it’s only the noise of the stick that breaks the rhythmic sound

of the rain. " Whap. Whap. Whap. "

 

" There is a certain sound when there is the right amount of meat, " explains the

handler, a man in his 40s, his half-closed eyes searching the cage. After

intensely listening he finally nods his head in satisfaction and points to a

medium-sized dog of light brown color. " That should do it, " he says.

 

A noose attached to a stick is now with the handler, who aims the device inside

the cage for the marked dog. The yelping dogs scatter to the corners of the

cage, trying to avoid the fishing noose. " They know what's coming, " he says. It

takes some 10 minutes until the " light brown one " is caught. The man, pulling

the struggling dog behind him, goes to a nearby spartan room. A sharp stick is

hanging on the wall and there is a steel container in one corner. Next to it is

a round, white tumbling box. While pressing the dog's head to the floor with the

noose device, the other free hand reaches for the stick. It's electrically

tipped. " Tens of thousands of volts in here, " says the handler in a matter of

fact tone. A slight touch to the head of the dog is all that is needed. Death

comes almost instantly. In a few seconds the twitching body stops moving. Legs

stop trembling.

 

Now the carcass is thrown into the steel container that contains hot boiling

water which the handler says is kept at 70 degrees Celsius around the clock. It

is used to soften the meat and make the process of separating the fur from the

body easier. After some stirring, the body is thrown into the tumble dryer that

removes the fur. The bare carcass is now carried over to a grill that is next to

the cage.

 

There the handler uses a torch to burn away any remaining fur. Then comes the

chopping.

 

" What about the internal organs? " the dog handler asks me. I don't take the

organs but another customer waiting in line is not shy about asking for them,

because for some dog meat lovers, they are considered a delicacy. The whole

ordeal takes about half an hour. The price: 150,000 won ($153) at the Gyeongdong

Market in central Seoul.

 

The current going rate for one dog starts at 120,000 won and can be as high as

200,000 won. Between stands of peanuts sellers and vegetables there are shops

that advertise dog meat. Some shops have their cages filled with dogs. Customers

who want a whole dog place their order and wait while the meat is often prepared

nearby. Separate pieces are usually sold by weight, 5,000 won per geun (1.3

pounds/0.6 kilograms).

 

Sometimes cages look filthy and there are no official government stamps on the

meat packages handed to customers, like more conventional meats. Now the Seoul

city government is considering changing all that. In a bid to reduce the health

risks of dog meat eaters the city wants to put an official livestock stamp on

dogs, a move that has angered animal activists here who are circulating

petitions to oppose the measures. They also are organizing protest rallies.

 

Nevertheless, Seoul officials hope the food safety measures that come with the

livestock designation will improve hygiene and slaughtering conditions,

eventually turning public opinion. " Last year, the Research Institute of Public

Health and Environment conducted a study and it discovered germs, " said Oh

Jae-ho, an official with the city's food safety department. " That is why we

think that putting dog meat into the flow of livestock monitoring is needed. " He

admits that doing so would make the current " abhorrent food " label even more

obsolete. That label forbids restaurants in the Seoul area from selling dog meat

for consumption.

 

The order was introduced in 1983 but the long-standing custom of eating dog meat

has hardly faded. Oh estimates that 500 to 600 dog meat restaurants operate in

Seoul alone. " We have been told that last year during summer 5 to 6 million

dishes were sold, " says the official, who concedes that city officials have long

given up on cracking down on the restaurants. " We simply don't have the manpower

to check every restaurant, " says the official. " Since many people eat dog meat,

we think it's better to bring the issue into the limelight for the sake of

public health. "

 

The law is also not a total ban on killing dogs for food. " We have a problem

here because the current animal protection law is about torturing animals but it

says nothing about killing dogs for the purpose of consumption, says Park

Yong-chun, an official of the city's animal management department.

 

South Korea introduced its first Animal Protection Laws in 1991, but the law

focuses on preventing cruelty rather than slaughtering for food. Oh Jae-ho

suggests that the livestock designation would help make transparent the whole

process of slaughtering dogs and would also protect pets. Another dog handler,

speaking on condition of anonymity, admits that owners tired of their pets or

people who find lost dogs often seek out handlers. " They are not the best meat

so they are fed to other dogs. If they are big enough they are sold like the

rest, " says the handler. Essentially mongrel dogs are the main source for dog

meat; they are not pets but are bred exclusively for consumption.

 

Nevertheless, on the day this reporter watched the dog slaughtering, well-known

breeds such as Rottweilers could be seen in the cages as well. The new amendment

prohibits people from selling or killing abandoned animals.

 

For civic groups the issue is not only that the inclusion of dogs as livestock

could trigger a surge in dog meat consumption, and further breach the principle

that says you shouldn't eat man's best friend.

 

" People are going to think that dog eating is O.K., " said Geum Seon-ran,

president of the Korea Animal Protection Society. " Dogs are the closest animals

to humans. An official government stamp is the wrong signal to give. Why do we

even have animal protection laws? "

 

The dog eating tradition has caused South Korea international embarrassment

before, especially when other countries raised the issue prior to the 1988 Seoul

Olympics. Today, the environment for dogs has changed dramatically. According to

the Korea Kennel Federation, an average of 25,000 to 30,000 thoroughbred dogs

are registered annually. Nationwide 3.5 million to 5 million dogs are believed

to be kept as companions. " If you start this process of separating dogs for

consumption from pet dogs you will open a floodgate. We think that dogs should

not be consumed at all, " says Chung Tae-gyun, an official with the organization.

" It's against global standards. "

 

In line with the country's ancient folk calendar, however, dog meat lovers seek

out gaejangguk (dog-meat soup) because it is believed to make up for energy lost

during summer heat. Dog meat is also used in gaesoju, a mixed drink that

includes dog meat and other herbal ingredients. The ingredients are put together

and boiled for drinking in small quantities as medicine. Another commonly served

dish is sliced dog meat. A whole dog usually costs around 300,000 won in

restaurants.

 

Places such as the Gyeongseong Oriental Medicine Clinic located near the market

ask 350,000 won for a month's worth of gaesoju; they charge half that if the

customer provides the dog. Customers have to pay 20,000 won extra for

slaughtering.

 

While Seoul is now opting to control rather than stop dog eating, ordinary

citizens seem not to care how the dog is prepared, nor are there signs of a

slowdown. “It won't make any difference at all,” says Son Jang-sik, who operates

a dog meat shop at Gyeongdong Market. " Dog meat is now popular. It's not just a

delicacy strictly for males. I have every sort of customer come here every day. "

 

" My grandmother lives in the provinces and she sends dog meat to keep our family

healthy, " says Kim Yoo-jin, who works for a conglomerate in Seoul. " Her packages

keep coming. "

 

Though in the past it was largely considered a stamina food for males, Lee

Nam-gyu, a taxi driver who occasionally eats dog meat with his friends, has

other reasons to eat the dish. " Doctors say it's good for getting back in shape

after a surgery or to heal broken bones, " says Lee. " It's the tenderness, the

meat feels like it's melting on my tongue. If you ask me, it's like eating beef

or chicken. "

 

Some dogs are also hanged or beaten with a stick, methods that supposedly make

the meat softer, according to industry insiders, but science has yet to find its

way into this area. " It's all a myth that has no scientific proof yet, " says Kim

Du-hwan, a professor of animal resource technology at Jinju National University.

He adds that with beef and pork, the preferred method is to stun the pig or cow

unconscious and then bleed it to death by cutting the throat. He explains that

how relaxed an animal is before the slaughter determines meat quality. " If the

muscles are contracted than you'll have meat that is tough, " the professor says.

 

Aware of the potential fallout that the city's decision could cause, other

government agencies here are trying to keep their distance.

 

" It's the sole idea of the city. We have not been consulted at all, " says Lee

Young-chul, an official with the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and

Fisheries. " I don't think we are planning to even consider this option. "

 

Reprinted with permission from the JoongAng Daily.

 

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