Kim Jong Un Orders All Pet Dogs be Confiscated in North Korea

North Korean leader, dictator Kim Jong Un ordered that all pet dogs in the country be taken and confiscated. He made the order in July, saying that dogs are a symbol of Western “decadence.” Dog owners worry the dogs could be used for human consumption, per South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo.

A source told the paper, “Authorities have identified households with pet dogs and are forcing them to give them up or forcefully confiscating them and putting them down.” The dogs are reportedly taken to zoos or sold to dog meat restaurants.

While owners are angry and “cursing” the dictator, there’s not much that pet owners can do under the dictator. “Ordinary people raise pigs and livestock on their porches, but high-ranking officials and the wealthy own pet dogs, which stoked some resentment,” the source told the paper.

According to In Defense of Animals, an estimated 2.5 million dogs are raised and killed each year for meat in South Korea. Many organizations work tirelessly to rescue dogs from the cruel trade, but coronavirus has made rescuing dogs from South Korea even more difficult. Fleur Dawes, Communications Director for In Defense of Animals said in an emailed statement, “COVID-19 is devastating for humans but now it’s having a huge effect on dogs who have already suffered at the hands of the dog meat trade. Even if you’re not traveling from South Korea, you can still make a big difference for these dogs who need urgent help. Please consider sponsoring a stranded dog meat survivor.”

The popular Bok Nal festival happens during July, where thousands of dogs are slaughtered for food. Read more about the dog meat trade in South Korea including the closing of a notorious market, dogs rescued from South Korea, how these rescue dogs found families in California and an investigation inside the dog meat trade. 

If you also want to see the end of the dog meat era, sign this petition demanding that Boknal, the South Korean Dog Meat Festival be stopped!

• Urge the President of Indonesia to end the dog meat trade
• Punish Cruel Animal Abuser Who Beat and Dismembered His Roommate’s Dogs!
• Ban the Dog and Cat Meat Trade in China
• Stop Telling People Dog And Cat Meat Are Cures For COVID-19!
• Put and End to the Illegal Dog Meat Trade in the Philippines

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
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