South Korea’s largest dog meat auction has shuttered its operations, following a Lady Freethinker (LFT) undercover investigation and relentless protesting from partner organization Save Korean Dogs.
The Nakwon Auction House is now closed, and all of the dogs have been removed from its premises, officials with the city of Namyangju said via press release.
Mayor Cho Kwang-han also emphasized that the city will immediately crack down on any additional illegal activities, should they arise.
LFT’s undercover video, released in October 2020, captured more than 200 terrified dogs in cramped wire cages. The footage sparked public outrage, a dedicated call to demolish the auction house, and evidence the local government needed to shut down the illegal sales.
“We were lucky this time, as we had pictures as evidence. Without them, we probably couldn’t even have started our investigation,” an official with the city’s animal welfare team told an LFT correspondent. “You cannot just walk into this kind of property without evidence.”
The official said that the Nakwon Auction House’s owner was fined the equivalent of $10,000 USD for building the facility without an authorized permit and that the government could leverage additional fines should the owner refuse to cease operations. Sales from dogs probably won’t cover the costs of those fines, making it unlikely that the owner will continue, the official added.
Cases filed with police about the auction house have been transferred to the prosecutor’s office, the official confirmed.
LFT Founder Nina Jackel said the closure of the gruesome dog auction house is a huge win for the thousands of dogs held captive in filthy, metal cages and sold off for brutal slaughter.
“This is an important victory for all of the dogs suffering in the cruel meat trade,” Nina said. “However, our work is far from over. Dogs continue to die every day for profit in this hidden, abusive industry. We will not stop until every dog is safe from slaughter.”
We thank the more than 46,000 supporters who signed LFT’s petition demanding the auction house’s shuttering and accountability for S. Korean dogs!
Help end dog meat for good by signing the petition below.
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Things like that should not be a thing in any country that considers itself civilised.
I’m so glad to see this post. I can feel happy knowing this godforsaken place was shut down.
Dog meat business is beyond discusting and cruel!
We are the stewards of this planets life forms.
We must do better for all the ecosystems to exist!
Please do away with this horrendous practice!
This is heartbreaking and disgusting please put it into it.
Glad they closed the meat trade over in Korea or where ever. Who wants to eat somebody s pet. Eat tofu. It has protein.Hope they close all meat trades. Glad someone had decency to stop them. Hope they continue. Yes,they eat dog meat in the U.S. in restaurants. Be careful what u prefer.
I’m sure they will close all meat trades forever.
This is excellent news 🐶🐕🐾👂
Humanity is lost in this world!! GOD HELP US SAVE THE ANIMALS!!!
Please help stop this brutal dog meat trade its simply not humane
Excellent news which I heard earlier. If they had a Golden Retriever I know someone who would take him/her. I know they like them and not in a good way and i suggested she look on the Asian dog rescue sites. i did not see any but now i may be sucked in (in a good way) to take an almost 13 year old dog.Oy vey. My dog died almost a month ago and i was not planning on another quite yet but these things never go as planned and i have never in my almost 69 years looked for a dog but have lived with many.
Thank you so much Nina. Surely, all the dog and cat meat places will also shut down forever! So cats and dogs will NOT suffer anymore!
Thank you Nina and all your partners and friends that work tirelessly to close that hell hole. When Asians stop eating dog and cat meat….when the new generation take down this vile trade and speak for the voiceless, that is when the grotesque industry will end. But it is good to know that meanwhile, dogs and cats are being saved by the protectors of justice all over Asia.