San Franciscans to South Koreans: Stop Eating Dogs and Cats

UNCLEBEND

THOSE DOG EATING BASTARDS SHOULD BE TRANSFORMED INTO DOGS TO FEEL THE PAIN.TRANSFORMER!!!!!!!!!!!

madmuffin

it's this kind of cultural bullying by westerners that will ultimately lead to more dogs being eaten in korea. koreans who normally don't eat dog meat may eat dogs just to spite the americans. koreans view americans as hypocrites who dictate to koreans not to eat dog meat when they themselves eat cow meat which in indian culture is viewed as gods. since cows are sacred and never eaten in india, should indians write to american government to close down all the burgerkings and mcdonalds? it's a cultural practise like bull fighting in spain, whale eating in japan, fox hunting in england, and dog eating in china, vietnam and philippines. and before san franciscans take up issues with koreans for eating 2 million dogs, they should take up issues regarding the fact that over 4 million dogs and cats are euthenized each year in america due to pet overpopulation problems (according to the humane society of united states). clean up your own backyard before you complaine about someone else's. when americans stop eating hamburgers will be the day when koreans will take them seriously and listen to what they have to say about dog meat issues.on a side note, koreans don't eat pets. the dogs that are consumed are bred and farm raised like cows. they don't live with humans and have very little human contact to avoid attatchments.

huh

I'm a south korean, and it's true that koreans eat dogs and cats. But the dogs and cats eaten are species for eating in korea. Nowadays only a few people enjoy this variety.All around the world people eat snails, snakes, animals and even human. It's our tradition. It's just who we are.

What a despicable website.

As many educated people have already pointed out, Koreans have never consumed cats or pets. It's disgusting that you would try to deceive the public with lies by saying they eat pets.

Honestly

As many commenters have already noted, Koreans do not eat cats (let alone engage in "cat feasting"). Good luck presenting a petition against that; all you'll encounter is nonplussed embassy employees.

Also, your hyperlink for "cat and dog consumption" leads an article that discusses only dog meat consumption. The sole mention of cat consumption is in the title of a cited article, which concludes that Koreans do not eat cats.

South Koreans to SFWeekly: Enough with the shoddy writing already.

The_Korean

Dog meat is not illegal in Korea at all. Dog meat is regulated under Food Hygiene Act. Dog meat restaurants apply for and receive permits to run their restaurant for the city, and the permit is freely given. Those restaurants receive the same tax treatment as any other restaurant -- for example, they can expense their dog meat purchase just as much as a BBQ beef restaurant can expense its beef purchase.

These are the kinds of misinformation spread by crazed animal rights people, whose racist minds cannot process the idea that a different culture might radically challenge the assumptions that our culture accepts as a given. For a definitive factual account of what dog meat is like in Korea, please refer to my blog: http://askakorean.blogspot.com...

Boston Ipv4

In related news, Indians hold a protest outside the US Embassy protesting the slaughter and consumption of cattle.

Thomas Adamson

I can't blame them, in that country and many other third world countries, meat is a luxury, and often meat of dogs and cats is the only affordable meat. If you want to help them, donate chickens and cattle to their farms, or start your own company there. However I doubt they would let go of their traditions of eating dogs, cats, and even aborted babies and dead newborns until they embrace the Holy Bible, as the Holy Bible is the source of civilization in the world, as the Holy Bible conquered the degenerate civilization of the Romans and Greeks.

Elguapo195

For some reason, after having read this I want to go find a dog to eat for dinner and then top it off with a nice kitten.

cynthia

I pray they stop eating dogs and cats in Korea. The videos of them beating, torturing and skinning them alive is heartbreaking!!!

No animal should ever be treated like that. That includes, cows, pigs, chickens, dogs, cats, monkeys, etc. They feel pain just like we do!! This is why I became a Vegan. So much suffering we are causing these innocent animals. This needs to stop!

Blah

You ruthless vegan. Can't you hear all the plants screaming as you cut them from the earth.

Jessica

Don't be ridiculous. You know full well that plants aren't animals and can't feel pain. You argument has no basis in science. Watch a blade of grass being torn from the ground versus a cat or pig being boiled alive. No reasonable person would have the same empathic response to these two events. Your comment is obviously meant to trivialize the issue, which is not trivial at all but is one worthy of careful consideration. And, as someone who are read a great deal of scientific material on the subject, I can tell you for certain that animals are much more intelligent and sentient than most people give them credit for. See, for example, Marc Beckoff's (a comparative ethologist's) work on morality in animals.

Blah

I'll get back to you after I finish my steak.

Elguapo195

thanks for the tip. i'll be sure to place that somewhere in the deep caverns of my heart.

dbcooper

rut ro

MSLGWCEO

Instead of euthanizing them, give them to the Koreans. Such a waste of good dogs and cats.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a dog and cat lover. I just don't like to see anything go to waste.

Guest

stop eating cats and dogs guys, oh my god, what's wrong with you. why can't you be normal and eat cows and pigs and chickens like the rest of us.

Guest

What's "normal" food? Who's the "rest of us"?

GTFOH

Dale

Bombay to SF : Stop eating cows

Enokimonn

Typical American hypocrisy, why not protest the "Western" traditions of force feeding ducks for production of Foie Gras, hunting of seals in Iceland, whaling in Norway, etc.

Court Kuehne

While I've never lived in Korea, I've lived in other Asain countries and I must say that cat/dog are delicious.

Gkaz

You're SICK!

kenhong@LG

Having lived in Korea on and off since 1995, I have NEVER seen or heard of any Koreans eating cats. Where do these people get their information? From Brigitte Bardot?

Original HotDog

Americans love to eat Hot Dogs, Koreans love to eat Hot Dogs, no difference, A Cow, a Pig, a Dog, a Cat, they all are sentient beings with feelings. But maybe somebody has established through deep research that some of them dont have feelings and therefore are subject to be slaughtered and eaten

Jessica

Pigs are the fourth most intelligent animal, after humans, great apes, and dolphins. Pigs have roughly the intelligence of a 3 or 4 year-old child and are vastly more intelligent than dogs. They are very complex creatures with distinct personalities, and there are numerous examples of pet pigs who have actually saved their owners' lives (through going to get help when the owner had a heart attack, etc.). Even chickens have the capacity of empathy. If you are interested, Marc Bekoff (a comparative ethologist who studies animal behavior), has written extensively on such aspects as cooperation, forgiveness, and morality in animals.

who cares

Apparently this group hasn't considered culture. Maybe we should stop eating cows and chicken! What's the difference?

kat

i don't eat cat or dog nor would i ever want to but to try and force our ideals on what animals are okay or not okay to eat on other people is just wrong.

VakNoo

That should be very interesting to see how that works out.

www.real-privacy.au.tc

Tyracer

i have been living in south korea for the past 5 years and while there is some consumption of dogs (extreamly little and hard to find places that still serve dog), there is no eating of cats. Also the practice of eating dog is dying out quickly and the younger gewnerations are completly against this practice

Garry

I don't understand how we can judje what another cultures defines as a meal. I love cats and dogs, but lots of people in India love cows..are we going to stop eating them too?

Think

How would we Americans like it if a bunch of Hindus protested and tried to get us all to stop eating beef? I like my dog as pets, but that's our culture, just as it's our culture to eat cow.

Jessica

"It's just our culture" is not a morally acceptable excuse for the horrific animal abuse that occurs as regular "practice" on factory farms and in slaughterhouses. Eating meat is not necessary for your health, and red meat in particular is linked to higher rates of diabetes and heart disease. Thus, by eating meat, you are directly supporting unnecessary animal suffering. If you actually watched videos filmed on ranches and slaughterhouses, I highly doubt you could argue that the cows/cattle don't suffer. I'm not trying to force you to give up meat, but really think seriously about the ethics of it and don't dismiss the issue as "it's just our culture".

trswx

Exactly. Dogs may be cuter than cows but I don't see why their lives are more valuable. I love my dog and would never eat one, but objectively speaking, it's no more evil than eating a hamburger.

GKaz

Dogs are domesticated animals! They are meant to live with humans and not to be eaten! There is NO comparison between dogs and cows! Ugghhh....

Jessica

Exactly. Which logically means that, by eating a hamburger, you are acting with inconsistent ethics. I have visited many farm sanctuaries and cows have distinct personalities, emotions, and display affection, just like dogs. Plus, if you saw footage of what goes on regularly in slaughterhouses you might change your mind.

AllenDanzig

Good points, but I don't think the message will go down well considering how it's coming from a country that has started wars and slaughtered countless innocent PEOPLE over the years in the name of oil/economic growth.

that's a lie

Ha. Are you a racist or not? Can you prove South Korea slaughtered people and started wars? Korea was a country torn between wars.

yummy

Poster was talking about the states.

pchazzz

Cultural imperialists.

Edward Kim

Uh.... I don't believe Koreans eat cats.

oranckay

Dear M. Sherbert, presently, this sentence links to a story about market in China.

"This is the seventh year the IDA has worked with Korean animal activists to deliver the message about cat and dog consumption. "

Presently, and hopefully in the future, Korea is not part of China.

eh..hem

Dear oranckay, when a journalist hyperlinks only the words "cat and dog consumption" the link can lead the reader to any other article on the subject of animal consumption and does not have to correlate with South Korea at all.

oranckay

As a journalist with a Korean newspaper, I try to avoid racist generalizations when I do my hyperlinks. Practices in China are not like what they are in Korea. The differences are many in number, but the most obvious is being pointed out by another commenter, namely that all else aside, Koreans don't eat cat, which would make the whole of the sentence I quoted factually incorrect.