7 Out of 10 Dog Breeding Farms Close as Early Shutdowns Accelerate

One Year After the Dog Meat Consumption Ban Act
1,072 Out of 1,537 Farms Have Closed

It has been found that 7 out of 10 dog breeding farms have closed just one year after the implementation of the Dog Meat Consumption Ban Act.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, as of August 6, a total of 1,072 dog breeding farms had reported closure through local governments. This accounts for about 70% of the total 1,537 farms. The number of dogs at these closed farms reached 345,590, representing 74% of the total.

To encourage early closure, the Ministry has set up six phases, offering higher closure facilitation subsidies to farms that close sooner. A Ministry official explained, "The sharp increase in closures compared to initial projections is due to the growing perception that ending dog meat consumption is now an irreversible societal mandate following the law’s enactment. This trend has also been driven by the effectiveness of policies incentivizing early closure and seasonal demand factors." The official added, "If this trend continues, it is possible that over 75% of all farms-at least 1,153-will have closed by the end of this year."

The latest closure reports show that early closures have spread among farms originally scheduled to close in 2026 and 2027. Of the 694 farms that planned to close in phases 3 to 6, 36% (249 farms) have already reported closure. Notably, 34% (172 farms) of those scheduled to close in the final phase in 2027 have also closed early.

The Ministry official stated, "Under the Dog Meat Consumption Ban Act, the production, distribution, and consumption of dogs for food purposes will be prohibited after 2027." The official continued, "The industry is voluntarily closing down by seeking various options such as domestic and international adoption, distribution as companion or guard dogs, or transferring ownership to local governments by February 2027, in line with past practices."

The Ministry plans to swiftly support the demolition and pre- and post-closure procedures for early-closing farms, while also inspecting for any increases in the number of dogs or expansion of breeding facilities to prevent the resumption of operations. For farms delaying closure, the Ministry will implement strict administrative measures, including orders to comply and the imposition of fines.

Park Junghoon, Director of Animal Welfare and Environmental Policy at the Ministry, stated, "Thanks to the active cooperation of the industry and the interest of the public, closures are proceeding faster than initially expected. The government will continue to manage the phase-out process to establish a better animal welfare ecosystem." He added, "We urge not only animal protection organizations but also all citizens who love animals to actively participate in adoption and distribution."

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