Dog Meat Trade

South Korea

Up to an estimated one million dogs are killed annually for the dog meat industry in South Korea, which is the only country in the world with established dog meat breeding farms. HSI Global has worked to close many farms, helping the owners voluntarily leave the industry and establish alternative livelihoods, saving thousands of dogs.  After many years of advocacy, on January 9, 2024, South Korea’s National Assembly voted through a ban on the dog meat industry, making the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs and dog meat for human consumption illegal from 2027.

Indonesia

In Indonesia up to a million dogs are slaughtered for the dog meat trade every year.

Many of the dogs that are slaughtered in Indonesia are stolen family pets. One of the most horrific parts of the dog meat trade is that the animals often must watch on as other dogs are dragged away from the cages and brutally slaughtered in public markets, whilst they wait their turn.

Indonesia’s dog meat trade is also threatening to undo all of the country’s hard work towards achieving rabies-free status. The World Health Organisation has explicitly highlighted the trade in dogs for human consumption as a contributing factor to the spread of rabies with its devastating impact on human and animal health.

HSI Global is a founding member of the Dog Meat-Free Indonesia coalition which comprises Jakarta Animal Aid Network, Animal Friends Jogja, Animals Asia and Four Paws, and was launched to campaign for an end this trade. By August of 2018, the Indonesian Government pledged to end the dog meat trade across the country. This was a major milestone in our fight to end the dog meat trade, but we are yet to see a nationwide ban materialise. In the meantime, we continue to work locally and so far have achieved 21 cities and regencies going dog meat free across Indonesia.

China

Every year across China, millions of dogs and cats—mostly stolen pets and strays snatched from the streets—are trafficked and slaughtered for the dog and cat meat trade. The annual dog meat “festival” that takes place in the city of Yulin every June, is just one example of this brutal and crime-fuelled trade.

The so-called festival in Yulin was started in 2010 by dog meat traders to boost flagging business. In recent years, thanks to the efforts of national and international campaigners including HSI Global and their Chinese partner group, Vshine, this event has become gradually more muted and small-scale. In the face of both domestic and worldwide condemnation, officials have cracked down on public displays of slaughter and limited advertisement of dog meat by restaurants. But the killing still goes on in the backstreets and out-of-town slaughterhouses under the cover of darkness.

HSI Global and Vshine have been able to support the care of thousands of dogs and cats saved from the brutal trade from across China, including at the Yulin festival. We look forward to the day the Yulin dog meat festival and the trade across China is confined to the annals of history.

Viet Nam

An estimated five million dogs and one million cats are caught, stolen, trafficked and slaughtered every year in Viet Nam to supply meat for human consumption. This trade involves immense animal cruelty and criminal activity. To catch dogs, traders use poisoned food baits, tasers and iron pincers while spring-loaded snares are used for cats. Animals are also snatched from people’s homes, as well as trafficked across the border from neighbouring countries such as Cambodia and China.

Not only is the trade in dogs immensely cruel, it poses a public health and safety risk, particularly due to its role in facilitating the transmission of the deadly rabies virus that still kills approximately 70 people each year in Viet Nam.

Dog meat is relatively popular in Viet Nam with 40% of people consuming it. Despite this, there is considerable and growing national support for a ban, particularly among young people and people who live in the south. Nationally, 64% and 68% of people, respectively, support a ban on dog meat consumption and the dog meat trade.

Our goal is a nationwide ban on dog meat and we call for stronger regulation pointing to animal welfare and human safety concerns.