Dog meat hot among Korea and China's trendy young

Animal-rights activists say it is a food fad fuelled in part by a desire to rebel against Western criticism

CANINE cuisine is becoming a fad among the young in South Korea and China, much to the dismay of animal-rights activists.

Restaurant owners and dog-meat watchers confirm that youngsters are now taking dog meat as part of their regular diet - much like beef or chicken - as food joints dish out trendy new recipes to whet appetites.

According to one estimate, 92 per cent of men and 68 per cent of women above 20 in South Korea have tasted dog meat recently.

In China, dog breeders are saying that in a few years, there will be as many Saint Bernard dogs on the mainland as cows and sheep.(?)

Although past data on dog-meat consumption is not available, those concerned say the numbers would have been low earlier - since dog meat was considered a type of tonic for the older generation, eaten to increase libido and treat illnesses.

Catering to the fad, on sale now are hotdogs with real dog meat, dog cookies and sandwiches and even dog noodles as restaurants come up with fast-food variations.

Traditional recipes such as kimchi, a spicy fermented vegetable dish, are being given a make- over and are now prepared with dog meat extracts.

South Korean nutritionist Ahn Young Geun, who wrote a book titled Koreans and Dogmeat, has come up with more than 350 new recipes.

The professor, who is often referred to as Dr Dogmeat, believes dog-meat consumption should be increased because it offers three times more calcium than other types of meat.

Besides the nutritional value, nationalistic pride seems to be playing a part, said Ms Kyenan Kum, founder of the animal-rights group International Aid for Korean Animals.

About 2.6 million dogs are killed yearly for food in South Korea, Mr Louis Ng, president of Singapore-based Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres), told The Sunday Times.

'Eating dog meat is a show of defiance, especially among rebellious young people. They feel that the West has no right to criticise their culture,' he said.

Reflecting this sentiment, a group of students from Seoul University set up a website recently to promote the virtues of dog meat and secured 11,000 signatures in support of its campaign.

But it is the cruelty in the handling of dogs - man's best friend in the West - that is raising hackles among animal-rights activists.

Dogs are usually strung up by their necks and beaten repeatedly to increase the flow of adrenaline in their flesh. Consumers believe the more pain the animals suffer, the more tender the meat becomes.

The dogs would struggle, howl, urinate and bleed till they become unconscious. Finally, they are chopped into pieces. All these are done in front of other dogs awaiting the same fate.

Now, for the first time, an Asian grouping called Asia Link - made up of 14 animal welfare societies from 12 nations - has decided to join the protest and has sent a letter to the South Korean government urging a ban on dog meat.

Said Mr Ng of Acres, an Asia Link member: 'The Koreans say eating dog meat is part of their culture, but one cannot use culture to justify violence.'

Mounting criticisms made South Korea and China ban the trade for short periods in 1988 and 1999 respectively. But that has not kept South Koreans and Chinese from hankering for their dog burgers and dog noodles.

Yes, they are plentiful becasue of the huge demand, but I dont know if the wholesale prices of raw prok and chicken are cheaper than that of dog meat since dog meat is not considered decent food.

You obviously aren't reading any of the links that I've posted. We all know that the Koreans DO consider it to be a "decent food", so decent in fact that they have brought their "culture" into THIS country..

2/19/99.....Korean Restaurants Spreading Their Poison In The USA!Openly Advertising Dog Meat In California!!
Three Korean Restaurants in Orange County are advertising DOG STEW openly, although it is illegal to serve dogmeat in the state of California. Yet, law enforcement authorities are not enforcing the existing law. Part of the problem is that "Boshintang" (dog stew) is advertised only in the Korean language. A Korean employee involved in the Channel 9 expose originally translated this; the translation has been verified by two other Korean animal sympathizers. Nevertheless, authorities either dismiss it, or refuse to look into the matter, passing it on to yet another agency that refuses to do anything about it. Orange County Department of Health official Mr. Saba supposedly inspected one restaurant & reported finding nothing to indicate that dog was being served. When questioned as to exactly what he was looking for, he replied,"a carcass." It had to be pointed out to him that McDonalds' does not have cow carcasses in their kitchens! He retorted that he "checked the meat receipts." Once again, ludicrous! Since serving, or providing dogmeat to serve, is against the law in California, who is going to give a receipt? initially, Saba maintained that his Korean investigator substantiated that the sign in front of the restaurant does NOT say dogstew." When it was suggested that he ask two different Koreans (at different times) to translate, he said he'd have to get back to us. He never did.

Penal Code 598b clearly states. "Every person is guilty of a misdemeanor who posesses, imports into, or exports from, this state, sells, buys, gives away, or accepts any carcass or part of any carcass of any animal raditionally or commonly kept as a pet or companion with the intent of using or having another person use any part of that carcass for food." The law goes on to state that it is not to be construed to apply to livestock or poultry. Nevertheless, L.A. S.P.C.A officer David Havard confesses:
"We've had animals picked up by individuals in the past years that used these animals for food consumption". Obviously if an officer for the Society for the Prevention of CRUELTY to Animals KNOWINGLY condones the adopting of animals to these individuals, any chance of help from this group is hopeless. Worse yet, how many people who give up a pet to the shelters have any idea that their animal may wind up as stew? The biggest problem we have in enforcing that law,." Havard continues,"is determining the definition of companion animal." If the SPCA doesn't know that dogs & cats are companion animals, who would? The police contend that they do not have time to investigate animal abuse cases, & pass the hat to Animal Regulation. The fact that Animal Regulation's answering machine offers Vietnamese callers a separate line to dial is disturbing as well, since it indicates that they service a sizable Vietnamese clientele. Dogmeat Stew (Thit Cho) is a very popular delicacy in Vietnam! Coincidentally, in 1996, head of L.A.Animal Regulation, Gary Olson, admitted that an astonishing 3000 seized animals were unaccountable (neither adopted nor euthanized) at the end of that year! Nobody has ever been convicted of "pet eating" under current law.

Since there is a law making the sale of dogmeat illegal in California, we must assume that the restaurants that do sell it are selling meat that has not been inspected. Because dogs must be obtained illegally to be used for food consumption, there is always the chance that the animal may be on medications that could make the person eating the meat sick. The USDA Food & Safety Inspection Service is responsible for ensuring that the nation's supply of meat is safe, wholesome & correctly labeled. When asked for its response on this issue & specifically to address the legality aspects & their involvement, USDA representative Wayne Humphries forwarded our request to Jackie Knight, at Media Communication in Washington, DC. Her reply? "The Food Safety & Inspection Service does not process dog meat for human consumption. Dog meat is not amenable to the Federal Meat Act. Exotic foods are under jurisdiction of the Food & Drug Administration." When contacted via email, FDA's webmaster replied: "FDA, the Food & Drug Administration, is who you referred to in your request. They inspect foods other than meat & poultry. I did not forward your request to them because USDA inspects meat & poultry. I have forwarded your request to the USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service Technical Service Center in Omaha, Nebraska. "They referred us to the FSIS Technical Center, who told us to contact District Attorney Gil Garcetti. We wrote to Garcetti's office on October 20th, 1998 & are still awaiting a reply.

One of our volunteers met with Barbara Fabricant, LA humane officer & President of the Humane Task Force, who arranged a meeting with Senator Rosenthal's office. Both seemed very interested in this issue & requested that the volunteer purchase a sample of the dish & they would have it analyzed after he did so & gave it to Fabricant's representative. Fabricant then decided that even if the sample proved to be dog stew, without a receipt from the restaurant, saying that it was dog stew, there was no actual proof that the dish was purchased from the restaurant in question. Rosenthal's office promptly lost interest. A plea for help was addessed to the office of L.A. City Attorney James Hahn, who has stated that his intent is to "vigorously enforce animal cruelty laws." His office replied with a form letter! The next step was to seek legal help. Michael Rotsten, celebrated Attorney-at-Law for the Animal Rights Law Office, was contacted. In response for our plea for help, Rotsten offered these words of wisdom: "When you go to a restaurant that serves "buffalo wings," that does not mean the meat contains buffalo."

The Animal Abuse Prevention Agency is a non-profit Animal Welfare organization formed specifically to tackle issues that the authorities, as well as many so-called animal welfare groups, will not address. By bringing issues such as dogmeat restaurants to the attention of the public, we work towards forcing authorities to enforce the existing laws pertaining to this horrible & unacceptable practice! The Animal Abuse Prevention Agency was responsible for instigating the Channel 9 expose on dogmeat restaurants, entitled "Prime Cut Pets:"

Restaurant owners who wish to provide these dishes must rely on criminals to obtain these animals. "Bunchers," as they are called, are people who obtain animals illegally & sell them to restaurants, vivisection labs, satanic cults & pit bull fighting rings - wherever they can make a quick profit. Most often, the buncher obtains animals through the "FREE TO GOOD HOME" ads in the local newspaper. By masquerading as an animal lover, sometimes going as far as to bring a child along, he can easily obtain several animals in one day. By selling the animals for much more than he paid (nothing!), it's not hard to imagine how lucrative this cottage industry is. Animal Abuse Prevention Agency has tracked over 30 bunchers operating in Orange County alone!

Boshintang - "A Time Honored Korean Tradition" According to the Sing Tao Daily Korean newspaper, "all body parts of a dog have excellent nutritious value. Its fur, bones, teeth, foot/toes, brain, heart, liver, bladder, kidney, blood & saliva. They can all be made into a healthy tonic." The article goes on to state: "The dog penis contains an bundance of protein & fat but also the male hormone which can help cure problems of impotence & related sex problems." Scientists, however, dispute these claims. Popular Korean belief is that due to the adrenaline rush it creates, the more painful the death, the tastier the meat. Dogs are usually killed by slow hanging, beating (often in combination), electric shock through the tongue & particularly for cats, drowning in large drums or pounding to death in Hessian sacks. The fur is burned off with a blowtorch & not necessarily after the animal is already dead. Puppies & kittens have a more "delicate flavor" & are often boiled for broth or "Goyangi-tan" (Liquid cat) as it may be called. Many Koreans believe that this is their culture & that they should be allowed to indulge.
One simple fact remains: AMERICANS DO NOT EAT THEIR PETS!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT December 15, 1998- news of the discovery of dog fur coats being sold by Burlington Coat Factory, the nation's largest coat retailer, hit the media. These coats were allegedly made in China & exported here. It is important to note that THERE IS CURRENTLY NO LAW OUTLAWING THE USE OF DOG AND CAT FUR. The Humane Society said, in a report released after the Burlington Coat Incident, that " (cat and dog) fur is making its way to the United States in products ranging from gloves and scarves to parkas & trinkets. "Since California is the ONLY state outlawing the slaughter of cats & dogs for fur & meat, it is reasonable to believe that some thrifty fur-dealers could have the much cheaper cat & dog fur supplied by out of state dealers & do so legally. It only makes sense that if Asian restaurants are serving dogmeat here in the United States, that it would be to their financial benefit (or to whomever is doing the slaughtering), to sell the furs as well as the meat. The Burlington Coat incident raises an important question: IF DOG FUR CAN BE SOLD OPENLY, IN MAJOR AMERICAN STORES, AND LABELED AS SOMETHING ELSE, HOW CAN YOU BE SURE THAT YOUR HAMBURGER IS MADE FROM COWS? Along the same line of thought, how do we know that the goat meat being served in Asian-American restaurants is actually goat & not dog?
As you have just read, it does not seem to be of any interest to the Health Department. During our involvement with the Channel 9 expose, a Korean station employee told us that her uncle, who eats dog regularly in Los Angeles' Koreatown restaurants, told her that virtually every restaurant that serves goat serves dog.

ANIMAL ABUSE PREVENTION AGENCY has had verification from several Korean animal activists that not only do the signs in front of these restaurants say "Boshintang" (dog stew), but they advertise it in their menus as well. These activists agree that the goat/dog correlation seems to be a code to dogmeat fanciers. Meanwhile AAPA has tracked Asian bunchers who are obtaining dogs through ads in newspapers such as in the Recycler. "WANTED: dog or dogs S.Madre 818-355-5526". This ad ran in the Recycler for several weeks. The person who placed this ad was an Asian male calling himself "Gilbert". Research showed that no such person lived at the adress traces to this phone number.

If You Have Access To Surveillance Equipment or Know of Any Restaurants Serving Dogmeat, Let Me Know At: MJartisian@prodigy.net

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