Homeless dog shelter in Jeongeup suspected of selling dogs to slaughter houses

A homeless dog shelter in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province / Courtesy of Korean Animal Welfare Association

By Lee Hyo-jin

A homeless dog shelter in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, is suspected of selling rescued dogs to slaughter houses, according to the Korean Animal Welfare Association (KAWA), Wednesday.

The shelter is run by a local animal hospital appointed by Jeongeup City Government in 2019. The hospital is responsible for rescuing abandoned dogs and managing their adaptation process. The local government paid the animal hospital 120,000 won ($100) per dog.

However, local animal rights activists have cast doubts about the care center for several months. It previously did not disclose its location and hid detailed information about dogs that went missing from the facility.

KAWA activists, along with Jeongeup city officials, visited the center on July 26. But they could not find all of the dogs reported to be kept there. After questioning, the shelter owner led them to a slaughter house located a 15-minute drive from the center.

“It turned out that the shelter owner had been selling abandoned dogs to a slaughter house,” KAWA official Chae Il-taek said.

At the slaughter house, a total of 49 dogs including 18 puppies were locked up in rusty cages with no food or water. Many of them were suffering from skin diseases and diarrhea. Two or three dog carcasses were lying on the ground. Tools traditionally used for slaughtering dogs in Korea, such as blow-torches and electrocution devices, were found in the vicinity.

Most of the dogs were immediately transferred to a different animal hospital. The animal welfare group is demanding punishment for those responsible.

“We will file a complaint against the local hospital, shelter owner and the person who ran the slaughter house based on the Animal Protection Act and Veterinary License Act,” Chae said.

It is unclear whether Jeongeup City was aware of the situation, according to Chae. But it is unlikely the city will be able to avoid the blame for its lax management of the animal care system.

“So far we do not have clear evidence that the city government was engaged in the selling process. But the city is obliged to visit the designated shelter at least two times a year. They presumably did not check on it regularly,” Chae said, adding that they will urge the local government to properly manage animal-related issues.