(Natural Blaze By Brandon Turbeville) A landmark ruling by a court in South Korea has many activists hoping that the decision may pave the way for a ban on the horrific dog meat practice in the country.
Image credit: The Humane Society
This is because a South Korean court has ruled for the first time that it is illegal to kill dogs for their meat.
While lawmakers in South Korea have long hesitated to actually ban the practice, some have moved forward with laws governing hygiene and/or cruelty and cruelty in slaughter methods.
“It is very significant in that it is the first court decision that killing dogs for dog meat is illegal itself,” said Kim Kyung-eun, a lawyer with animal rights organization Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth.
She also stated that the ruling has “paved the way for outlawing dog meat consumption entirely.”
The ruling came about after CARE filed complaints against a dog farm operator and accusing him of “killing animals without proper reasons,” in addition to violating hygiene and building regulations.
Prosecutors charged the man and he was convicted, being fined $2,700 and waiving his right to appeal. The fact that he was found guilty, however, is giving animal rights activists a reason to cheer due to the fact that his conviction sets the precedent that killing dogs for food cannot be used as a legal defense.
Park So-youn, the leader of CARE is planning to repeat the process with other dog meat farms, tracking down the farms and slaughterhouses, filing complaints, and hoping for a similar legal outcome.
“Over the past decades, public discourse over dog meat consumption has shifted towards banning it,” she said.
“The dog meat industry will take greater heat because of the court ruling.”