Illegal dog slaughter persists

[Anchor]

It has been six months since the dog meat consumption ban was implemented, but penalties have been postponed until February 2027.

Taking advantage of this gap, some dog breeding farms are still engaging in mass breeding and slaughter.

Reporter Min Soo-ah has covered the situation on-site.

[Report]

At a farm on the outskirts of the city, which is rarely visited, dogs are trapped in over ten metal cages.

Some dogs are unable to stand properly due to leg issues.

There are more than 60 dogs, ranging from puppies to adult dogs.

The floor below the cages is covered with a mix of excrement and fur.

Nearby, electric rods and weapons have been found, indicating that illegal slaughter has taken place.

[Dog Farm Owner/Voice Altered: "(The condition of the dogs) was not good. There was no other way. I didn't really think about it much."]

Not only dogs but also goat carcasses were discovered.

Animal protection organizations point out that this is evidence of slaughtering animals with electric rods, which violates animal protection laws.

[Kang Young-kyu/Animal Rights Activist: "This is the first time I've seen slaughtering in such an open place. It involves killing with an electric skewer. Dogs were slaughtered in front of other dogs."]

This farm applied for business closure compensation to Cheongju City last year ahead of the dog meat consumption ban implementation.

In order to receive actual compensation, they must dispose of all the dogs they were raising before submitting the closure application, but they continued to raise dogs while secretly slaughtering them.

After illegal slaughter was uncovered, the farm owner relinquished all ownership of the dogs.

However, the remaining 60 dogs at the farm cannot all be accommodated by the Cheongju City shelter, so alternatives are being sought.

Although the dog meat consumption ban was implemented in August last year, penalties have been postponed until February 2027.

Taking advantage of this, the breeding and illegal slaughter of dogs in unsanitary conditions continues without interruption.

This is KBS News, Min Soo-ah.