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Even though most people in South Korea don't eat dog meat, the largest number are killed during the three hottest days of the summer, and it's happening right now. Join us in standing with South Korean activists in urging President Moon Jae-in to act to ban the dog meat trade once and for all before his term ends next year.

Boknal days — the three hottest days of the summer in July and August determined by the lunar calendar — are the cruelest for dogs in South Korea. Thousands of innocent dogs have been and will continue to be brutally slaughtered for their meat, which is typically consumed in soup known as bosintang. Although most people don't eat dog meat, there's a long-held belief, especially among some individuals belonging to older generations, that consuming it will cool their blood and invigorate their health.

While South Korean activists have led the way in shutting down major markets, dog meat farms and slaughterhouses in recent years, the dog meat trade continues to persist in a legal gray area.

Dog meat isn't legal in South Korea, but it isn't explicitly banned either. Many provisions of the Animal Protection Act that would protect dogs from cruelty aren't enforced, and the way dogs are classified under different legislation has left them in limbo. The country is also now the only one that still allows intensive farming of dogs for human consumption.

However, President Moon Jae-in adopted a dog who was at risk of becoming a victim of the dog meat trade in 2017, and he has the power to change this.

Victory! This alert made a difference for animals! Learn more.