Boknal
PyeongChang Olympics Dog Meat Concerns

On February 9th 2018 the Winter Olympics will open in PyeongChang, South Korea and run till February 25th. This means thousands of people from all over the word with visit the capital. Despite concerted action of activists participants will not choose animal welfare over sport and boycott this event. Our hope now is by lobbying them athletes who are attending they will speak out against the dog meat trade.
At the previous South Korean Olympics in 1988 the government ordered a temporary closure of restaurants leading people to believe very few people actually eat dog meat. This time however they have not intervened. is not as easy for them to whitewash over the truth since any google search of dog meat and Korea paints a very different story.
There had been a plan by local councils to give grants to restaurants who would remove the word dog meat from restaurant signage as well as images and even though we were told this plan had been pushed back many restaurants have removed the word anyway. This means tourists are likely to choose and eat dog meat without really knowing.
Our activist partners GAON who we worked with to help ban live slaughter of dogs at Moran Market will be holding a protest on February 9th as close to the open ceremony as they can.
We will be holding our own awareness event in Central London on February 10th. For more information on this please follow our social media pages.
GAON ( Dasom) have now taken their work to the field investigating and forcing closure through legal loopholes to dog farms and we continue to support them both financially and also through our network.
In the UK we have a new Minister for Asia, Mark Field, and whilst we were disappointed he was told it is just a few elderly people who still consume dog meat he will continue to push our concerns forward both in Korea and in China on his next official visits.
President Moon Jae-In owns a rescued dog himself and whilst he will not go so far as to say it wrong to eat dog meat he has been advocating more dog socialization parks and encouraging animal welfare provisions to be implemented. In fact animal welfare formed part of his presidential campaign. Having an ‘ official’ dog in his official residence sends out a message that change is needed. Unfortunately though education still needs to happen in Korea so that people recognise there is no distinction between ‘ meat dog’s’ and pets.
Please follow us on FB to see what letter writing campaigns you can take part in and please donate so we can fund this important work. This is a real opportunity to make a difference.
NoToDogMeat is Helping Activists and Rescuers in South Korea Please Donate
For the last three years NoToDogMeat has been helping grassroots activists in
South Korea, China and Indonesia. We believe such activists will be the main engine for change in these countries and are encouraged to see the passion and dedication of an emerging number of such people.
Your donations to NoToDogMeat have been helping to :
- provide education and campaign material
- push for animal welfare laws and close legal loopholes
- lobby on their behalf in Governments
- facilitate rescue and rehoming of dogs saved from the cruel meat trade
In 2012 we started a petition to close the gruesome Moran Meat Market
in South Korea and in 2013 our official letter was presented to President Park Geun-hye during her state visit to London. In 2015 the issue of the dog meat tradewas debated in UK parliament and our charity officially thanked for its work.
Last year donors generously donated to help further our work in South Korea
Here is how some of the money has been spent in just the last few weeks:
- regular street stall campaigning in Seoul with our local partners at Cheongnyangni Station Square
- visits to Moran market in Seongnam to investigate the cruelty and slaughter, gain footage and speak directly to traders
- setting up a stray cat feeding point and organising a trap, neuter and release program for them
- rescuing four dogs needing urgent medical treatment.
We will be providing continued regular support in the months leading up to Bok Nal and are supporting other activists who are protesting the new cloning facility.
Korean Embassy Event Today
Currently the NoToDogMeat supporters and volunteers are at the Korean Embassy in London, peacefully rallying against the Boknal festival, as well to push for an end to the horrid dog meat trade.
Many have gathered to show their support for NoToDogMeat.
Many are doing their part to be a voice for the innocent victims in the meat trade. We hope you will stand alongside us, as there are many more events upcoming within the next couple of weeks/months!
More photos coming in as the event continues on:
The CEO of NoToDogMeat is Julia De Cadenet
Say NO to dog and cat meat
#StopBokNal2015
#CrueltyIsNotCool