Why we said “no” to trying dog meat in South Korea.
It’s no secret that Chris and I are very intrepid souls. We like to push ourselves out of our comfort zones and try things that we have never done before. We are big fans of trying everything at least once. We have bungee jumped, swam with sharks, received magical tattoos from a monk in Thailand, the list goes on.
We are also quite adventurous when it comes to trying new foods. We’ve sampled balut in the Philippines, scorpion in China, and even munched on chocolate covered ants here in the U.S. After living in South Korea for two years the one question that is most commonly asked is if we ate dog meat while there. To some it might be a joke, but for us it is a serious issue that we don’t take lightly.
A scenario came up during a recent interview for a travel videographer job that we were vying for. The interviewer inquired how we would react if we were in a foreign country and were taken in by the locals. They painted a colorful picture where we were ushered into their homes and a traditional feast was prepared. “What if you sat down and there was something strange on your plate like whale… or dog?”
We knew immediately what she was getting at. She wanted to know how we would react to our gracious hosts and if we would try the food that they had prepared. We told her that we would be more than willing to try something new, especially if it was a local tradition, but knowing what we know about dog meat , it would be hard for us to accept it.
We feel that dogs, out of all animals, are preconditioned to love without condition. No other animal has, on its own terms, evolved to serve, protect, and adore mankind. That deserves some respect.
While we have personal reasons why we think that dogs in particular shouldn’t be eaten, our main issue with the dog dilemma is in how the dogs are treated and in the end, slaughtered. In South Korea, the majestic nureongi dogs are often kept in cramped cages until they are hung from a tree and beaten to death. This horrific death is said to help tenderize the meat. One butcher was even quoted as saying that the more a dog suffers, the better the meat will taste.
Proponents of dog meat consumption claim that the nureongi dogs are livestock and should be treated as such. They also claim that these dogs are not pets and should be solely used for consumption. However, when looking into the eyes of one of these devoted animals it’s hard to believe that they could be compared to any livestock that we’ve ever come across.
In Korea, the selling of dog meat is actually illegal. It is no longer a food that is eaten out of necessity, but out of tradition for the locals and kitsch for the foreigners. We are not ones to judge a culture for its traditions, but in this case most South Koreans deem the serving of dog meat cruel and unnecessary. In fact, the majority if not all of Koreans we met, protested this practice.
We know a lot of expats that decided to try dog meat while living in South Korea. Some were doing it in the hopes of getting closer to South Korea’s culture, and others did it just so that they could say that they tried it. For us, the choice was personal and one that we stand by. We don’t believe that dog (or cat) meat is an appropriate source of protein, especially in countries where other livestock is available.
We’d love for you to weigh in. Have you come across a similar dilemma in your travels? Would you try dog meat if the opportunity ever presented itself?
I ate dog in Korea. And yes, I went into it knowing all the issues. Mostly I did it because a Korean friend said he loved it and would love to take us to try it. The younger generation is mostly against dog meat consumption, but then again, if you go to my neighborhood of Incheon, there are lots of restaurants that sell it (and pretty much only to Koreans – there aren’t really foreigners round here). So I consider that it’s still a cultural thing.
And I also justify it to myself because all animals that become meat are treated pretty cruelly, so if I eat one – why not eat others? This argument could also be a good one for vegetarianism. But anyway, I really think it’s a personal choice and I respect everyone’s varying opinions about it.
We agree that it’s a personal choice. Neither of us are vegetarians and we know that it’s hypocritical in some ways to choose to eat other meat products, especially since they’re treated just as cruelly the majority of the time. We are all for cultural experiences, but this is one that we felt was more for show and not tradition. Again, it’s strictly personal and it is always good to hear from another point of view.
I’ve been living in Incheon for 8 years and never heard about dog meat-selling restautant. If that restaurant really did exist, I think only a few strange people would visit there.
No, Rachel, not all animals that wind up on the dinner table are BEATEN TO DEATH. Your argument would justify cannibalism, and you’re an idiot.
I sort of agree with the idea that if you’re troubled by dog maybe you shouldn’t eat meat at all, because even a bug doesn’t deserve to be tortured, in my opinion. But then, I eat certain seafood sometimes (depending on how it’s caught/raised/treated) but not poultry or meat, so people draw their lines in different places.
If I were staying as a guest abroad in a culture where vegetariansim isn’t really a “thing”, would I eat a meat dish prepared for me? I choose not to eat meat because I live in a culture where I can make that choice and remain healthy and well-nourished – I don’t have to eat meat, so I’d prefer not to.
Not everywhere has that privilege – and there is something to be said for tradition, so I think I would eat meat in certain scenarios. But like you said, it doesn’t seem necessary to eat dog (and the treatment of them definitely isn’t necessary), so why do it?
Anyway, it’s interesting the moral dilemmas that come up when travelling and it can hard to strike that balance between respecting another culture and staying true to your own values.
I have to say that I read half of this and couldn’t bring myself to read anymore. I have zero tolerance for people who abuse animals, especially dogs. Yes, I eat meat, and I know about some of the horrific conditions cattle, chicken, pigs, etc are kept in. But as a rescuer of dogs, I simply can not wrap my mind around this custom. Humans can be real sons-of-bitches. There’s a special place in hell for people who abuse animals.
Gotta agree with Leah here. Maybe it’s part of being American, but there’s no way in hell I’d ever eat dog. Call me crazy, but there’s just no way. And what ever happened to ethical treatment of animals? Suffering=better taste? That’s sick.
I understand that some people eat meat, and I might do it sometimes myself I knew it was ethically raised. But as I can’t know for sure I won’t have it. The thing in my opinion is not the issue of eating dogs, the issue is how they are treated before they got killed! Dogs ah been living with human beings for thousands of years, they are man’s best friend, a really kind and loyal animal who does not want anything else from us than being loved and getting food and affection. Dog just give! And that is why its wrong to treat them like this. We do not NEED to eat dog meat, we dot NEED to eat meat at all. Its just food. We should let our ego affect what we eat like ” Oh I am so COOL I tried this really spicy dog while visiting my friend in Korea. Its just food and we can eat really simple stuff, we don’t have taste everything there is just because we can. And we should not cause suffer to animals because of money and greediness. Thank you!
You really sound like a hypocrite. You are a “dog rescuer”, and yet you eat other meat? You’re damn right other animals are treated just as badly, and almost undeniably worse. The worst kind of people in the hippie(critical) animal rights movements are those like you.
I have respect for people who stop eating all meat (as long as they’re not trying to force others to do so), but to say that it’s fine, even that you do it yourself, to eat animals killed in brutal ways but not to eat a dog that is humanely killed is ridiculous.
I have never had dog meat, possibly never will, but I will never try to shove my hypocritical beliefs down others throats and act like some saintly “dog rescuer”, while enjoying the meat of other animals that are often more intelligent than dogs.
I don’t think one has to become a vegan in order to speak out against animal cruelty. That doesn’t make any sense at all.
Don’t forget that compassion may begin with one particular species which later on encompasses a number if not all species.
Saying no to dog meat doesn’t imply the person doesn’t feel compassion for other animals. It’s just that the connection can take a while to make (as in my case). Calling a person hypocrite because he/she has strong feelings towards dogs isn’t really a good argument for shutting people up. Those who fight day and night against bear bile farming, are they hypocrites too?
By adhering to your standards nobody really has any right to speak up against anything – poaching (ivory, horns), bear bile, bullfighting, foie gras, “scientific” whale hunting, hunting in general /canned hunting, shark-fin soup, cat soup, factory farming in general etc. Because nobody’s really innocent.
IMO, animal cruelty in any form should be discouraged no matter on where you stand in your dietary preference, vegan or not.
And no, meat dogs are treated far worse than cows and pigs. Do they hang cows on a tree and beat them to death? Are they denied water during the sweltering summer season in Korea?
But that is beside the point.
Suffering is suffering. I just felt inclined to comment your notion that cows, pigs suffer more than dogs, which really isn’t true.
To be a dog rescuer does NOT mean you have to be a vegetarian or a vegan; it simply means you rescue dogs. I myself am a meat eater and wouldn’t dream of ever giving up meat, but I am absolutely against animal cruelty. Like many have said, the real issue is how the animals are treated PRIOR to killing them for their meat. Would I eat beef if it came from a cow who was beaten to death? No way. Would I eat beef otherwise? You can count on it.
Whether eating a creature is wrong is not about intelligence. Otherwise eating stupid people or people with certain disabilities would be okay. It’s a matter of in-group, out-group. Dogs and cats are part of the human in-group. They’ve had symbiotic relationships with our species for something like 15,000 years.
They serve as our eyes in the night, our noses where we cannot smell. They guard our children, our homes and our crops. They are not livestock.
Livestock serve no purpose but to be eaten. Livestock is bred to eat greedily and produce more milk than their own children need. Livestock is bred to die without troubling their owners overmuch.
Dogs, conversely, are bred to serve. They worship us *genetically* (if you raise a wolf pup and a dog together in the same home, their treatment of humans at adulthood will be completely different. The dog will look to humans for help reaching high objects, and his brain, upon seeing his humans, will trigger the same pattern that it triggers if you give him a really nice “reward” treat).
To say that betraying the trust of a species that is literally genetically obligated to trust us (it takes a surprising amount of trauma to overcome the canine predisposition to love humans) is no different from slaughtering a cow… that seems incorrect, to say the least.
I’m with you on this one. Dog meat is something I refuse to try. I grew up on a farm and, at any given time, we had at least 3 dogs, not to mention the puppies that would grace us on an annual basis that we’d raise until they were old enough to live with other families (hey, we’d have had about 70 dogs if we’d kept them all!)
Living in Korea for 3 years, I don’t have any Korean friends who eat dog meat. They say it’s mainly for older generations, and even then it’s mainly men that eat it as they believe it gives them “stamina”. I don’t get why they don’t just take a pill.
I’m up for trying a lot of different kinds of food, but dog food is something I just can’t go with. I didn’t know the dogs were killed in such a brutal manner before being turned into meat, which makes it all the more horrible.
It was supposed to say We should NOT let our ego to affect… Just to make it clear!
good for you for touching on something very serious, tawny. both of us struggle with this on a daily basis, as we’re animals lovers and, unfortunately, also meat lovers. we both decided to cut out certain meats (pork, veal, lamb) in an attempt to at least be somewhat animal-friendly.
Apart from the way you described the dogs being slaughtered, I don’t have a problem with dogs being raised for meat. That having been said, I haven’t tried it and probably never will. It’s just an experience that appeals to me, but I don’t condemn the practice itself.
As far as tradition is concerned, there is almost always a suitable substitute for any one ingredient that won’t alter the overall flavor of a dish. Most of the time, the unique flavor of a dish is from the way it is prepared and the spices that are used. For example, shark-fin soup is a traditional wedding food in many Asian cultures, but many young couples are requesting the use of abalone instead of shark-fin because the taste and texture is nearly identical.
@ Captain & Clark – I applause you for guarding your integrity against this cruel “traditional” dish, unlike others that have to try it out for “fun” or to be able to brag about it.
The dog meat business in Korea and elsewhere, as you point out, is very cruel and the cruelty has multiple purposes : 1) to subdue the dogs since it’s an animal that is able to defend him/herself, 2) to make the meat taste better.
The dogs are born and raised inside tiny wire cages that are lifted off the ground , and are NOT given any water even during the summer months. They’re given boiled and rotten leftover foods from restaurants. Come slaughter day, they are brutally yanked out of their cages and squeezed into even tinier cages for transportation to the slaughterhouse or market. There, they are either hung by their necks (death isn’t instant : it takes several minutes to die) or electrocution is used. Often, dogs are only rendered unconscious. Next step is fur removal using a blowtorch or a fur removal machine. During this session sometimes dogs are still alive.
When regular Joe wants to prepare his dog, it’s still common to combine the hanging with a bat.
Oh, you mentioned Jindo dogs that are highly esteemed but that doesn’t stop Koreans to eat them anyway. In fact, any pet dog can and will end up as dog meat in Korea.
Dog farms:
http://twitpic.com/9l9wql
http://twitpic.com/7ic9ca
http://twitpic.com/7ickg4
http://twitpic.com/7ivefe
http://twitpic.com/7jj35w
Transportation:
http://twitpic.com/7mz76m
http://twitpic.com/9enoon
http://twitpic.com/7ick1m
http://twitpic.com/abv2zs
Slaughter:
http://twitpic.com/7mzas3
http://twitpic.com/7mzddw
http://twitpic.com/8txg8s
http://twitpic.com/916ifv
http://twitpic.com/7iccpa
Anyone claming his or her right to eat dog meat lack empathy.
i was reading through the article and opinions and was trying to keep a neutral mind, until i saw these photos. fuck that, humanity decided to make dogs their pets, their dna converted as such, and we should stick with that. these images freaked me out indeed.
I couldn’t do it. No way, no how. Like Leah, I struggled to even read this piece and I knew going into it that I would. For me, the most difficult part of traveling to different countries is how the locals think of and treat animals, whether they’re meant to be food or just abandoned. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t do so well in South Korea, or any other country where dog is on the menu.
Fransesca wrote : “… I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t do so well in South Korea…”
– You would do great in Korea. It’s not like dog meat is a national dish that is widely spread and exposed like kimchi or tofu soup. The majority doesn’t even eat dog meat. Many do, however, defend the “eating right” of those who believe dog meat is an important part of the Korean cuisine and tradition. For them, I note, a single dish seems to determine whether or not they feel Korean enough.
And Koreans who offer dog meat to their guests should be ashamed of themselves. There are literally hundreds of great, tasty and non-cruel Korean dishes out there and yet, they come up with dog meat just to be controversial?
For more info on S.Korea & dog meat visit this site :
http://animalrightskorea.org/dog-meat-issue/dog-meat-issue-sections.html
way to take a stand. that is what is important in this post to me…we need to keep true to values and beliefs. glad you did.
I can chime in on my thoughts either way on whether i’d try it… and to be honest I’ll never truly know until i am faced with the decision. But I can tell you today, I too like to try adventurous meals, but as a previous dog owner (and especially they way they seem to be treated) the meat is not on my menu.
stay committed, Craig
That was indeed a bit weird to answer for it will always be a no. I will never eat dog for I will surely remember my pet. Being a traveler, I definitely say no to dog eating.
Not for me, thank you! I was actually served it in England when I was in university, but the cook kindly told us what it was before the first bite… not a pretty sight.
I’ve never really given much thought to my own hypocrisy in eating cow and other animals, but not dog, etc. Sort of makes me think… That said, I’d still never eat dog…
YUCK. BLECK. this bums me out. lola likes to keep her head and feathers in the clouds. i know that this stuff exists…i just don’t wanna think about it. not very grown up of me, is it?!
anyway. NO WAY. no dog meat for moi.
I hear you, Lola!! I even had a hard time going through this post and had to close my eyes when I saw the pics… :((
this is so wrong in every way…looking at these slaughter pictures and seeing these dogs alive, being hung, gasping for air??? unreal…these monsters who do this will BURN IN HELL…trust on that…this needs to STOP and NOW…culture my ass…it is just plain EVIL…no one in their right mind could do this to these loving dogs…it is sickening..I hope all these monsters who do this type of job LOSE THEIR LIFE soon in a most horrible fashion…i cant believe this is actually going on???? this MUST STOP……for medicine purposes??? Get real!! Thank god so many are against this horror! Nothing but a bunch of sick, demented, monsters killing and torturing dogs…I hope there family members and kids meet horrible deaths…God IS watching and he said to show compassion for his animals…these monsters will meet the Father and when they do….he will show NO MERCY…they have no idea what is in store for them when they pass on…evil bastards…burn in hell!
I definitely wouldn’t eat dog meat. I’m a strict vegetarian so I don’t eat any meat or seafood, but I wouldn’t eat dog even if I did eat meat. (I think we had this conversation next to a BBQ in that backyard in Keystone, ironically!)
@mrsoaroundworld – I had no idea you could eat dog meat in the U.K. Please elaborate. Googled it up and only found this:
http://www.veggies.org.uk/2010/10/friend-or-food/
Even before I became a vegetarian years ago, I found using dogs as food utterly objectionable (even writing this sentence makes me sick to my stomach). Needless to say, I’m glad you didn’t do it.
Cody and I have had personal experience in dealing with dogs that were saved from the meat trade.They were terrified and in need of so much love.
Cows and pigs are also terrified and well aware that they are going to be killed.
We don’t eat meat, so to us if you’re going to eat a cow, why not eat a dog?
We understand that in the West dogs are considered loving, obedient, wonderful companions, but a pig can be that too. From an ethical point of view, there is no good reason to eat any meat. But if you do, we don’t really think anyone should be pointing fingers at anyone else. One culture is no different than another when it comes to killing for food. All animals that were chosen by “us” to become food are treated horribly, and live in constant fear, anxiety, and suffer immensely.
So the question is, why do you think it is ok to eat beef or pork?
Giselle, you’ve posed a really good question and one that I’ve been pondering over all day. I think that by western ideals I have eliminated both pigs and cows from the domestic companion categories. I supposed it’s made it easier for me to eat meat thinking that way.
Regardless, I don’t think any animal should be treated so cruelly, When I think of what the dogs go through and then realize that cows and pigs are treated the same, I am deeply saddened. I need more time to think it over, but your question has impacted me enough to honestly consider giving up meat.
The aim of this post was not to point fingers, but to simply shed light on what has to occur in order for someone to eat dog meat in South Korea. I think a lot of foreigners are blind to what really happens to these dogs and are simply trying them just for bragging rights. While this isn’t always the case, we’re hoping that they’ll really think it over, especially since it’s illegal.
On another note, Chris and I really admire the hard work and sacrifices that you and Cody have made in the illegal dog trade market. We have been following the journey and are so saddened to hear everything that the dogs have been through. I imagine it’s a tough job, but are encouraged that there are people like you who are doing everything they can to help.
You are making a good point. I don’t think pointing fingers is the right thing to do, and I understand those who say there’s a credibility problem, a conflict, if the pointing fingers belong to people who consume cows & pigs.
One topic often leads to another. But for me, it should be possible to discuss foie gras, dog meat, cat liquor or bullfighting, fur etc without discussing the horrors our pigs, cows and chicken go through?
And if it’s suggested that only vegans have the right to criticize animal cruelty that is tied to a foreign culture, I think the uphill battle will only get steeper.
Oh, and the pro-dog meat people certainly know how to use the “poor-vegetable-and-plants” argument too. Being a vegan or vegetarian, to them, is really a moot point.
My idea is that vegans perhaps should be more welcoming to people who consume meat but harbor certain affections for companion animals. Condemning them for loving one but eating the other could be counterproductive. I don’t eat meat. But my journey towards a meat free diet began with my thinking that a cow is different from a dog and pigs don’t have feelings.
And it can take weeks or years before a person decides to become a vegan.
While I personally think a vegan life is an optimal decision a person can make, I also think people who fight for banning whale hunts, dolphin hunts, trophy hunts, bile bears, fur, vivisection etc deserve credit too.
Even if these people consume cows and pigs (I don’t know that, I’m just assuming), they are still making a difference. A small change is better than none.
The deliberate pain and horrors Korean meat dogs have to endure from birth to slaughter are unfathomable. Why can’t we discuss that?
Example on how Mr Average Kim chooses to improve the meat flavor:
http://twitpic.com/afvfpt
I say we all have the right to raise our voices for a change, a change for a less cruel world.
Some people are honest : Since cattle suffer, it doesn’t really matter if dogs suffer. But what kind of an argument is that? This could be used as an argument to justify just about anything: Fur, safari hunting, canned hunting, whale & dolphin meat, zoos, rhino horns, bullfighting etc. Aren’t we supposed to make the world a little less cruel place to live in?
And the deplorable conditions the dogs live in, the transporting methods, the slaughtering methods these dogs are subjected to are known to them. Self-justification…For what, really? The bragging factor. Just to see how friends will react to their culinary and “tabooish” adventure. I recall reading a blog written by a couple : during their China visit they ate dog meat. On their blog, pics of the dish were uploaded together with a detailed description on how the meat tasted. One sentence caught my attention : “I ate it just to see how my friends would react.”
My. Not only are these people condoning animal abuse with their wallets, but the main reason for them trying it out was to give them bragging rights. I find this absolutely pathetic.
They are also undoing the work of local animal protection organizations and average Kim and Lee’s out there that work very hard 24/7 to buy and rescue some of the meat dogs, giving them vet care, immense adoption work and so on. We have enough of local diehard dog meat eaters who think abused dogs taste better. We have enough of pro-dog meat people who believe, in the 21st century mind you, that dog meat has medicinal properties like : A dog’s reproductive organs will help childless couples, dog meat will strengthen women’s reproductive system, dog liver will remedy K9 bites, dog meat will make your bowels comfortable, dog meat will strengthen men’s virility, dog meat bones will make your white hair black and dozens of other nonsense.
We certainly don’t want a horde of attention-hungry foreign visitors wanting to try dog meat just because it’s taboo and cool and it gives them a bragging right. Really.
Visitors – when you are in Korea, please do not contribute to the cruelty. Say no. Every plate counts.
Once I read that koreans eats this specific dog called Nureongis, I thought on myself then there is some “special dog” and “special conditions” and also traditional customs. Later in 2009, here in Brazil a vip korean restaurant was closed and some people arrested for slaughtering stray dogs, even a pet rotweiller was found about to be slaughtered.
I wasn’t interested in dog meat until someone said it tasted a little like beef. I really like beef… Knowing they’re not killed quickly does bother me, though. I think I’d have to refrain in light of this new info.
You’d be surprised how many (foreigners inclued) would justify dog eating in spite of knowing its inherent cruelty by saying 1. cows and chickens suffer too, 2. Regulate the dog meat industry and problem solved (conveniently forgetting that the _regulated_ meat industry indeed systematically abuses cows and chickens) 3. We have no right to tell others what to eat / not to eat
I’m so glad you stand your ground about not trying it. I would never try it either. I’m with you that dogs just want to love someone and have someone love them in return. Since I have two cats, I also believe that about cats. Even before reading how the dogs are killed I would not try it, and now reading how they do it absolutely horrifies me. As an animal lover I feel like I’ve been on the border of becoming a vegetarian for a few years now, but just haven’t been able to make the switch yet. Maybe I never will, I don’t know. That being said, I also agree with the commenters who say it’s about how they’re treated before they’re killed which is why I always try to eat free-range, hormone-free, organic meat whenever possible and try to educate myself on which brands are as humane as possible so that I don’t get confused by marketing ploys. It’s hard to know for sure, though. I would never, ever eat dog though no matter the conditions.
You guys should know that in Korea, cats are also eaten. Not as frequently as dog meat but it certainly exists, and there are certain restaurants advertising that they serve cat soup. Cats are usually boiled alive and made into a soup that is believed to remedy “joint problems|” (*since cats are agile animals!) .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYf28rgh8M0
In Cambodia, nobody eat dogs but lot of dog are stolen by night….
Preferable to eat a dog than a cow. Dogs are meat eaters and will kill you if they could, for food.
@ chin ming wang :
Now that’s a winning argument you have there! So just because a starved dog potentially could eat human flesh it justifies the cruel dog meat trade?
FYI there have been plenty of verified incidents in our history where men have eaten men. That tells you what?
Kio, your comments are some of the few comments I can relate to. Having looked into the whole sad business of how many cruelties are involved in the dog meat trade, I find that a lot of the comments on here are insensitive. NO, I would not eat dog meat and contribute to the callousness involved in their farming methods, transportation and slaughter. It’s hard to look at pictures and videos of man’s (and woman’s ) best friend being subjected to these cruelties and the ones you show Kio are tame compared to others I’ve seen and heard about. It’s not something you can erase from your mind once you’ve seen it. It stays with you and is haunting and so sad to know that people are capable of such things. It’s not just cruelty to dogs and cats that bothers me but cruelty to people and all animals. A lot of times this cruelty takes place in front of children and they in turn are often desensitized? It’s just not right. How can people who do this even love anyone or anything? Perhaps they’re truly Souless.
What a bunch of hypocrites you are. I am personally against the dog eating in Korea, but not because the tradition itself is wrong, but because of the cruelty in the process. Stop with the hypocritical arguments like “But dogs have been our friends!”. Just because they are humans’ friends doesn’t mean they are “superior” of a species, and the fact that we eat cows should be criticized and protested by Hinduists around the world, because cows are the special species them. By that logic, we can’t eat any kind of animal.
All lives are equal and torturing of any form of life is immoral, and it must be minimized in any case. The US is a leading nation in creating high meat demand worldwide(which is well reflected by the world’s highest obesity rate) and if you consider the number of lives in your country that suffer from cruelty to produce meat, Americans should not have anything to say about other countries’ “horrendous traditions”.