.
.
The slogans represent shifting of the times. The animal protection movement in 2002 experienced relative indifference. As public sentiment began to gather around the rhetoric of ‘Dog Meat Nationalism,’ animal right activists raised their voices, shouting: “Dog meat does not belong to one of the traditional culinary legacies,” and “I love my country, the Republic of Korea! And I oppose the dog meat trade.”
When the government attempted to legalize the dog meat trade in 2005, animal rights activists held demonstrations and worked on civil campaigns, The activists adopted the slogan, “The government should retract the legalization of dog meat trade, which disguises itself as a sanitary control plan.” The defenders of the dog meat trade kept emphasizing the segregation between edible dogs and companion dogs for the last ten years. In 2011, however, KARA declared that there is no way to separate edible dogs from companion dogs, saying “All dogs are the same, and the only difference lies in their appearances,” and “all dogs are companion dogs.”
As KARA explored the vast range of areas to bring down the foundation of dog meat industry, the network of problems, comprised of the government, administrative agencies, juridical agencies, etc. began to emerge. KARA revealed that the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Environment facilitated the growth of dog meat farms into a factory-style industry by letting food waste go to the dogs kept in dog farms. KARA made these actions known to the Korean public. KARA strongly criticized the government’s rather tepid response while pointing out the “illegitimate symbiosis between the Ministry of Environment and dog farms. And the Ministry of Environment issues free passes permitting dog farms’ unlimited access to food waste.” Nevertheless, “animal bodies are not processing facilities for food waste.”
KARA chanted the slogan, “Now it is time to end the dog meat trade!” The reversal of the acquittal of a farmer slaughtering a dog with electrocution by the Supreme Court and shutdowns of dog meat centers such as Moran market, Gupo dog market, Taepyeong-dong dog slaughterhouse, etc. all marked progress.
.
While most countries have begun to discard the tradition of eating dog or other companion animals, Korea has persisted.
.\
.
The government’s attempts to legalize the dog meat trade have been continuous. If the legalization had succeeded, the timeline to end the dog meat trade in Korea might have been much more complicated. Activists and citizens gathered together to fight the legalization attempts.
.
KARA deployed an anti-dog meat trade campaign on public buses for the first time in Korea. The campaign caused a huge sensation, and triggered much debate. The photos of a mother dog and a puppy delivered a poignant message to citizens and let them know the truth about the conditions of dog farms.
.
Although the defenders of the dog meat trade kept maintaining that there was a difference between edible dogs and companion dogs, it all proved false. The numerous abandoned pet dogs kept in dog farms alone proved this. The owners of dog farms often argue that the ‘edible dogs’ are the dogs native to this country. KARA emphasized that edible dogs and companion dogs are not different.
.
KARA made a declaration stating that all dogs are friends of mankind.
.
The slogans disseminated to the public shook the foundation of the dog meat industry. The campaign was only possible due to the thorough and detailed analysis of the most complicated Acts, such as Wastes Control Act and Control of Livestock and Fish Feed Act. The fieldwork on dog farms also played an important part in painting a whole picture of the industry. KARA’s slogans presented legal solutions as well as fundamental problems.
.
This slogan aimed to break down the abusive practices toward Korean native dogs and the lie that sustains the rhetoric of ‘edible dog.’ The slogan demanded that the Korean government and the Blue House (in which a double standard functions to segregate dogs in terms of utilitarian benefits) take action.
.
From this point on, we presented a slogan summarizing the agenda of ending the dog meat trade as something inevitable. Activists, citizens, and the government all recognize the reason why dog meat industry must come to an end.
.
The dealers in the dog meat industry have performed slaughtering acts of by taking advantage of blind spots within the Animal Protection Act. KARA finally succeeded in challenging this blind spot after a long series of trials. The slogan summarizes the demand for punishment for dog meat traders who commit dog slaughtering acts using electrocution.
.
The hub of Korean dog slaughterhouses, which functioned as a rear support station for Moran market in Seongnam, got taken down for good.
.
KARA is the only group that has examined large-scale dog farms as the blind spots for quarantine, and has tried to highlight the risk caused by the large-scale dog farms. Considering that the Covid-19 global pandemic had been brought about by the illegal slaughtering of wild and companion animals in a local fish market located in China, Korea also might face another pandemic if the government does not listen.
