North Korea Seizing Pet Dogs for Meat

​www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/kim-jong-un-orders-north-koreans-to-hand-over-pet-dogs-%e2%80%94-so-they-can-be-used-as-meat/ar-BB183Jon?li=AAggNb9

North Korea's Kim Jong-Un has reportedly ordered the seizure of pet dogs throughout the nation to be used for meat as the nation's economy has taken a downward spiral.  The report claims that the North Korean Government has record of all of the people throughout the nation who have a registered pet dog and will begin seizing them immediately in order to supply the dog meat industry. 

Dogs have been labelled as "decadent" and a "luxury" product. The dog meat trade is prevalent throughout Pyongyang with several reported specialized dog eateries operating despite international pressures to end the dog meat trade once and for all. It is believed that because of serious damage to crops and a recent emergency order put in place that the North Korean government is grasping at straws in an effort to appease the nation who has grown increasingly nervous with their situations. 

It has long been frowned upon to have pets in North Korea but as early as 1990 saw the wealthy throughout the nation begin obtaining dogs as a status of wealth. This caused outrage among the poorer of the nation who resented the wealthy and their opportunities causing a greater divide in the nation. Unfortunately, it seems now that those who own dogs as pets will now be subjected to having their dogs stripped from them for the dog meat trade.

I can't even imagine the horror of having to worry that government officials were going to burst into your home at any minute to rip your dog from your arms. There is something fundamentally wrong with this even being allowed but also unsurprising as we have seen Kim Jong-un overstep respectable boundaries many times in the past. This is also a nation full of oppressed people, starving people, people without access to enough food to feed their families, all while the nation's leader continues to enjoy a life of luxury. Adding in an order that makes it legal to come to your house and strip your pet from you is unsurprising but completely unacceptable.

The dog meat trade is despicable and there is continued international outrage over the industry. Many farms throughout South Korea have already begun to close because of mounting pressure and a change in society's view of dogs as pets versus food. As our planet works towards an end of the dog meat trade, it's unfortunate that North Korea not only defies those international concerns, but instead forces its people to surrender their beloved pets to support the dog meat industry. It's absolutely abhorrent and completely backwards to what the general populous of our planet believes about the dog meat industry.

We must continue to spread awareness about the dog meat industry and the horrors surrounding how those beautiful dogs are obtained, treated, and eventually slaughtered. There is no animal welfare involved in this industry whatsoever. Dogs are stripped form their owners to be crammed into cages as they watch in horror as dogs are skinned, burned, and bludgeoned. No veterinary care, no medical treatment, and no pain killers prior to being beaten or set ablaze. It's honestly one of the most disturbing things to watch or see photos of.

My only hope is that continued international pressure will see the end of the dog meat trade. 

HAPPY VEG