Seoul city council proposes bill to ban dog eating

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Seoul city council proposes bill to ban dog eating

An animal rights activist group holds a demonstration in western Seoul to call for the prohibition of dog eating on March 23, the National Puppy Day. [NEWS1]

An animal rights activist group holds a demonstration in western Seoul to call for the prohibition of dog eating on March 23, the National Puppy Day. [NEWS1]

A bill to ban eating dogs and cats was proposed in the Seoul Metropolitan Council on Wednesday. The bill will impose a maximum of 5 million won ($3,780) fine on businesses selling the animals for food.
 
“In an era where 13 million people are pet owners, we aim to have the city of Seoul set the pace for the eradication of dog eating,” Kim Ji-hyang, the primary author of the bill, said.
 
The metropolitan government seeks to settle the issue — one that lies between culture and existing laws — by coming up with practical support measures for those in related businesses, according to Kim.
 
The proposal comes a month after a revision to the Animal Protection Act that banned dog meat production came into effect on April 27. The revised law prohibits killing animals without reasonable grounds, such as preventing a direct threat to human life or damage to property.
 
Wednesday’s bill addresses the issue further by stipulating the prohibition of dog and cat eating as one of the Seoul mayor’s duties. It will also lay the basis for the metropolitan city to take measures for the ban by establishing plans, conducting inquiries and running support programs.
 
The bill will delegate regulation rights under the Animal Protection Act and Food Sanitation Act to the city of Seoul, allowing the metropolitan government to crack down on sales of unauthorized and unsanitary meat from unidentified sources and impose a fine of up to 5 million won on violators.
 
Dog meats have been in a gray area as Korean laws do not classify dogs as livestock or their meat as a food product. The new bill, if enacted, would resolve this ambiguity by banning the sale and processing of dog meats.
 
Kim said enacting a local ordinance was necessary because dog meats have been difficult to ban, evading legal curbs on the grounds that they were consumed in custom.
 
The bill will have a year-long probation period for related parties to prepare for the change.
 
“If the ordinance bill is proclaimed after voting by the Seoul Metropolitan Council in July, a committee consisting of dog meat businesses and animal rights experts will be formed to provide consulting for the change,” the city councilor said.
 

BY SOHN DONG-JOO [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]
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