South Korea passed legislation to outlaw the dog meat trade just over a year ago, and according to The Korea Times, 623 dog meat farms have already shut down voluntarily.
There are 1,537 registered dog meat farms in Korea, and smaller-sized farms – those with less than 300 dogs – constitute the majority of recent closures. Twenty-one large farms – those with more than 1,000 dogs – and 153 medium farms – between 300 and 1,000 dogs – have also shut down. Authorities expect around 60% of farms to be closed by the end of 2025.
The government is assisting this transition by providing farmers with simple procedures for shutting down their businesses and helping them shift to other industries.
“It is the ministry’s intention to provide support and at the same time strictly monitor the market so that every single dog meat farm in this country either shuts itself down or transitions its business to other fields by 2027,” Animal Welfare and Environment Policy Bureau Chief Park Jung-hoon said. “We want support from the country’s dog meat business owners so that Korea can become an advanced nation with regard to animal welfare.”
Following a farm’s closure, the dogs remaining on the farm “will be managed by local animal shelters.” If the shelters lack space, they will temporarily be kept on the farm and monitored.
Lady Freethinker worked for years to end the cruel dog meat trade in S. Korea with investigations, media attention, and impactful campaigns, and we will continue fighting to stop dog and cat meat industries worldwide.
If you haven’t already, please take action and sign our petition urging Vietnam to end the cruel dog and cat meat trade.
