TEXT SUPPLIED BY IAKA/KAPS

Your Excellency

I am appalled to learn the Korean Government is currently drafting an amendment to the Animal Protection Law of 1991, making a distinction between certain breeds of dogs as meat-producing livestock animals and other breeds as pets. In the draft law, the definition of pet animal is an attempt to give legitimacy to dog and cat meat. The dogs and cats are protected only if people raised them purposely as pet animals. This means that any dog or cat purposely raised for food will not be protected. Not only does this deprive protection to animals who are raised for food or medicine but will also result in a situation where the law cannot punish any animal abuser who claims that their dog or cat was raised for any purposes other than pets. In 1991 your own government acknowledged that all dogs, not just certain breeds, were entitled to protection from cruelty, mistreatment, and abuse. Any amendment leaving dogs and cats purposely bred for food or medicine without protection would be a grave injustice and a major setback for the animal protection efforts in Korea.

If this new law passes, it would make Korea the first and only country in the entire world to explicitly legitimize dog meat, legally sanctioning dog and cat killing for human consumption. This would bring a great mark of shame to your country, especially when the overwhelming majority of the rest of the world has banned dog-meat, including Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines. In fact, Taiwan has recently strengthened their law to ban the killing and selling dogs as food. Almost every other country in the world, especially those as developed as Korea, is moving forward with animal protection laws. Why do you want to embarrass your country and let it be known as the only country taking a step backwards?

Our boycott of Korea’s bid for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games was successful. After choosing Vancouver, Canada, as the host city, the International Olympic Committee sent letters to International Aid for Korean Animals and The Korea Animal Protection Society asking them and their supporters to stop bombarding their offices with protest cards. I promise that if the proposed amendment to the Animal Protection Law of 1991 passes, we will do everything in our power to se that Korea will loose all of its bids to host any major event, including all international sporting events and World Expositions. I, and my many animal loving friends from around world, will send protest letter after protest letter informing the organizers of such events as to the horrors that take place inside Korea, letting them know that they should reconsider before choosing Korea as a host country. All Dogs and Cats are companion pet animals and should not be raised for human consumption.

Yours respectfully