I am so saddened that S.Korea, where in the 1950's we helped them fight
against Communist aggression is still a country which has so little regard for
the treatment of their dogs and cats. It's one thing to eat them, but the way they
are treated beforehand and killed is horrible by anyone's standards who has
even a modicum of compassion.
I give credit to In Defense of Animals who won't let this cruelty go. And imagine-
I got a similar report of this cruelty from them in the 80's. It saddens me that there
never seems to be a collaborative effort by ALL the animal rights organizations
to focus occasionly on something like this and bring it to the attention of not only
the US but of the world. Maybe together we can make an impression on them re
how disgusting we find their barbaric treatment of dogs and cats which is described in
the latest IDA internet newsletter.
"In South Korea, dogs are routinely...
* Wrenched from steaming, squalid crates where they're packed like sardines to
sell in the marketplace
* Strung up by their necks as other imprisoned dogs watch in terror, then
* Ruthlessly beaten as they dangle helplessly, urinating and defecating on
themselves in an agonizing spiral of death."
This process can take an agonizing hour or more and then the dog is blowtorched,
butchered, and barbecued for dinner.
What about their CATS? How do they fare? Many of us were devastated to learn about
a young New York woman who took out her vendetta against a friend by putting the
former friend's kitten - Tiger Lily, in a hot oven to die a horrible, horrible death.
But unbelievably, some S. Koreans matter of factly boil cats alive in pressure cookers
to make an "elixir" (death juice) called goyagi soju. It is believed to have curative
powers to alleviate rheumatism and neuralgia. What a horrible painful death for these
poor cats. I usually look for natural cures, but there is nothing "natural" about this
one. In this case, I would approve of them using pharmaceutical drugs instead.
The good news is that there are people in S.Korea called CARE who are partnering
with IDA to rescue as many animals as they can from these very cruel deaths. In one
case- even at the risk of arrest and personal injury, they rescued dogs from a
dog meat "farm" in the remote Gyeonggi Province. Found in terrible conditions,
these lucky dogs were rescued and brought to CARE's shelter to be treated, cleaned,
and loved for probably the first time in their lives.
CARE also filed a civil complaint against the facility, and the owner agreed to demolish
the building which had been a place of horror for innocent dogs. A great victory
for CARE and IDA. Now, with IDA's help, they are hoping to bring lawsuits against
dog shops in this province.
Yes, there is hope at the end of the tunnel, but how many more thousands of dogs and
cats will meet their deaths in such a horrendous way before more successes are made?
I can't believe that this has been going on even before the 80's and pursists to this day.
Sadly, IDA can, by themselves, do little in comparison to the very great need. Each
day who knows how many dogs and cats are killed in this barbaric fashion? In the
meantime, our only hope is to try to help IDA with our donations. They need to
purchase a costly rescue van. And then there are costs to care for the rescues and
costs for filing lawsuits. If you can help, I know the funds will be put to good use.
IDA is also holding their fifth annual International Day of Action on August 16, 2011
where events are held in numerous countries including S. Korea and on five different
continents. May God bless these efforts for the animals who have no voices but theirs
and ours. And if you believe in the power of prayer, please put these dogs and cats
on your prayer list. Culture is never an excuse for cruelty.
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