"Feeding Food Waste, Severing Achilles Tendons to Prevent Escape..." When Will Measures Be Taken for the Horrific Dog Farm?

Illegal Dog Slaughter Using Electric Metal Skewers
"Dogs Cry Out Amid Layers of Feces in Cramped Breeding Cages"

The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. Photo by Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Although the number of households living with companion animals has reached 6.3 million, illegal dog farms that breed and abuse dogs for sale still persist. Recently, a large number of illegal dog breeding farms that abused dogs by slaughtering them with electric metal skewers were uncovered, sparking controversy over whether the animal protection laws are too lax.

At another farm, dogs were illegally slaughtered using electric metal skewers, and dog carcasses were fed to other dogs under the pretext of supplementing protein. While illegal slaughter is problematic, the cruelty of causing fratricide has been criticized as excessive.

As the horrific animal abuse conditions at dog breeding farms have been revealed, citizens and animal rights organizations are outraged.

On the 22nd, the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police Unit announced that after conducting intensive crackdowns on dog breeding facilities and animal-related business facilities in the province for one year starting from April last year, they detected 65 cases of illegal activities and referred them to the prosecution. At one of the farms caught, it was revealed that dogs suffering from enteritis were left untreated to die, and food waste was recycled as dog feed.

The dogs raised on farms are kept in poor conditions and neglected. On the same day, the animal rights group "Animal Rights Action Kara" stated, "(According to on-site investigations) it was confirmed that almost all dog farms use food waste mixed with livestock waste instead of feed," adding, "Food waste mixed with saliva and filth is going to dog farms under the guise of recycling. While some dog farms have reported waste disposal, more than 35% of dog farms appear to be illegally supplied with food waste through companies." They also noted that only 26.7% of farms boiled food waste before feeding it as feed.

Dog farms are subject to the Animal Protection Act, Building Act, Waste Management Act, and others. The current Animal Protection Act punishes acts that cause death to animals in cruel ways or cause death in front of other animals of the same species with imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won. Violations of the duty to raise and manage companion animals that cause injury or disease are punishable by imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to 20 million won.

In particular, the Livestock Manure Act stipulates administrative measures such as closure orders for unauthorized livestock barns if proper manure treatment facilities are not installed. To be recognized as a legitimate farm, one must meet 26 stringent legal requirements including the Road Act and River Act.

However, according to "Animal Rights Action Kara," on-site investigations revealed that only 60% of dog farms had reported discharge facilities under the Livestock Manure Act, while the remaining 40% were unreported or illegal. Considering violations of other laws such as the Building Act, the number of illegal dog farms is expected to be much higher.

Illegal dog farms operate secretly without reporting, making crackdowns difficult and it hard to grasp the number of farms or the actual breeding conditions. According to "Animal Rights Action Kara," it is estimated that about 502 dog farms operate in Gyeonggi Province alone, known as the area with the highest number of dog farms nationwide.

'Animal Rights Action Kara' announced that they rescued dogs being raised at a dog farm in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province on the 27th of last month. Photo by 'Animal Rights Action Kara' website.

Even if farms appear legally compliant with the Livestock Manure Act and Building Act, they are not free from animal abuse controversies. On the 2nd, "Animal Rights Action Kara" reported that a dog farm in Namyangju City, Gyeonggi Province, which was a member of the local Livestock Cooperative and was being inspected by the cooperative’s guidance department according to internal standards, was still neglecting poor breeding conditions. The cooperative’s standards included raising one dog per cage, prohibiting the cohabitation of multiple animals in places like exercise yards, and installing sunshades, but the conditions at the farm were appalling.

During the rescue operation at this farm, "Animal Rights Action Kara" reported, "Dogs were crying amidst layers of piled-up feces inside cramped breeding cages, and some dogs had no space to lie down and were sleeping leaning against the iron bars. Most dogs did not touch the piled-up leftovers, and thirsty dogs were licking water floating on the leftovers or water pooled on the floor as there were no water bowls," describing the scene at the site.

There are also criticisms that local government crackdowns are insufficient. In Seo-gu, Incheon, where a farm was caught in April, suspicions arose that the district office took no appropriate action despite continuous complaints from residents near the dog farm. Residents of nearby apartments have reportedly filed complaints since 2018, stating that "dogs that escaped from the farm roam the apartments and nearby hills threatening residents," and "the barking is severe, and dog carcasses are left unattended."

At this farm, about 30 dogs with injuries were found along with dog carcasses. The animal protection group "Donghaeng Sesang" stated, "At least four dogs were diagnosed by a veterinarian with injuries to the Achilles tendon area," and "it is suspected that the Achilles tendons were cut to prevent the dogs from escaping." At the scene, ropes and pickaxes suspected to be abuse tools, as well as food waste and rotten water, were left unattended.

Animal rights groups have raised their voices for solutions to protect dogs. Kim Hyun-ji, Policy Director of "Animal Rights Action Kara," criticized, "All local governments are managing dog farms poorly, including whether they report under the Livestock Manure Act. They only take action when complaints from citizens or animal rights groups come in or when issues arise."

She added, "Especially, there is no safety inspection regarding animal feed. The government needs to reset its policy direction on animal protection," she emphasized.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.