There are often pictures in the media from Eastern Asia of dog farms and dog eaters and dog butchers and all those kind of horrors that upset us so much. If the posts allow reader comments then these pictures will always be accompanied by words such as how barbaric that nationality or nation is.
I really do not want to make these judgements though. I am campaigning against the dog-meat trade but how can I expect a nation of people to like and respect my opinions if I don't even like and respect them? So, with this in mind I ventured off to Seoul in South Korea with the intention that I really wanted to like Korea and the Koreans and I am very happy to say, I did!
A Friendly Country and People
The Koreans can be very friendly and sweet. They often want to practice their English with you (though most of the time this is poor) and so are keen to chat and talk about your country.
Straight off the plane in Seoul I was met with taxi drivers touting for business. When I turned down their offers they gave me big smiles and asked where I was going and pointed me in the direction of the bus I should take. A big difference and happier alternative to cab drivers in most Western capital cities.
A few times in the city when I was lost and finally gave in and asked for help, Koreans would look at my map, get lost too (Seoul maps and directions are notorious) but then wander around with me for quite a long time until we found where I was looking for. I loved them for their patience and kindness.
I have campaigned with placards and flyers in the UK and Korea and I would say there are equal percentages of people who i) are embarrassed by you ii) ignore you iii) get angry with you iv) sympathise with your cause, so in this respect I found Koreans no more or less open to new ideas and charity than the British.
All Dogs are Equal, but Some are More Equal Than Others
I was pleased to hear that owning pets is on the increase and that 1 in 4 (25%) households in S. Korea now have a pet. This compares with 46% in the UK and 62% in the USA. But I was also saddened to hear that even pet owners still distinguish between meat dogs and pet dogs.
To me, a dog is a dog. No matter what kind of dog it is it doesn't deserve to be killed and eaten and that is what all Westerners think too- a dog is a dog and they all deserve equal rights. But is this correct? True, Westerners don't eat dogs but they do distinguish between different kinds of dogs- those that deserve lives as pets in a loving home and those that can be left to be killed in their millions. You don't agree with me? Admit the fact that practically every person you know who gets a new dog gets a pedigree and pays hundreds or thousands of pounds for the pleasure. These will all be puppies. Even a pedigree dog who has had a previous owner and is therefore a bit older is often considered 'second-hand' and no longer valuable. We continue to buy these infant pedigrees from breeders even though there are thousands of dogs in shelters and council run dog pounds who are unwanted and homeless. We know the homeless dogs are unhappy there. We know that most of them will be euthanised in the next few days or if they are 'lucky' will have found their way to a no-kill shelter but could likely be left to languish there for years. We don't give them a home or save them from death and instead would prefer to buy a 'new' pedigree.
No tale of a homeless dog can entice the majority of us to choose them over the breeders' pedigrees- their history of abuse, their amputated limbs, their loving personalities despite the trials they have endured, the fact that they are sweet young puppies and could have a whole life ahead of them or that they are old and frail and not much time left to receive the love they have never had.
We don't care because we set hugely different values between some dogs and others. This makes us like Koreans.
Eating our National Treasures
The Jindo is South Korea's national dog but I found it strange that this breed was also a popular dog to be killed for meat. At first I was disturbed to find out how Korea's national treasure could so easily be consigned to the dinner plate- what a nation of twisted personalities the Koreans must be, I thought. Until, I considered my own country. In Scotland we love our Highland cows. They are incredibly cute, big, shaggy cattle mainly in a very fetching ginger colour that can be found in our countryside. We proudly show them off on calendars, posters, mug coasters, you name it; where there is a Scottish tourism shop you will find these cows in pictures and as stuffed toys and ornaments. We love them. Yet, these animals still meet the fate of all other farmed animals in Britain- stunned (probably inefficiently), hoisted by 1 leg in to the air, their throats cut and then bled to death. This is what Scottish people allow to be done to their own national treasure. Which, in my mind makes us no better than Koreans in the way we can mix cute and cruelty when it suits us.
Helping Animals/ Loving Humans
If you want to do your best to help animals, you have to be a great communicator with humans. To do this you need to develop a relationship with them and a good way to do this is to find some common ground. It's difficult to find common ground or to even want to find common ground if you think they are a subspecies with no morals or heart. Yes, they may do things that we find repugnant but to be reminded of our own imperfections and the excuses we make for these may aid us in finding a way to debate and negotiate with these people in a better and more acceptable manner. Be nice- it will help animals so much more!
I really do not want to make these judgements though. I am campaigning against the dog-meat trade but how can I expect a nation of people to like and respect my opinions if I don't even like and respect them? So, with this in mind I ventured off to Seoul in South Korea with the intention that I really wanted to like Korea and the Koreans and I am very happy to say, I did!
A Friendly Country and People
The Koreans can be very friendly and sweet. They often want to practice their English with you (though most of the time this is poor) and so are keen to chat and talk about your country.
Straight off the plane in Seoul I was met with taxi drivers touting for business. When I turned down their offers they gave me big smiles and asked where I was going and pointed me in the direction of the bus I should take. A big difference and happier alternative to cab drivers in most Western capital cities.
A few times in the city when I was lost and finally gave in and asked for help, Koreans would look at my map, get lost too (Seoul maps and directions are notorious) but then wander around with me for quite a long time until we found where I was looking for. I loved them for their patience and kindness.
I have campaigned with placards and flyers in the UK and Korea and I would say there are equal percentages of people who i) are embarrassed by you ii) ignore you iii) get angry with you iv) sympathise with your cause, so in this respect I found Koreans no more or less open to new ideas and charity than the British.
All Dogs are Equal, but Some are More Equal Than Others
I was pleased to hear that owning pets is on the increase and that 1 in 4 (25%) households in S. Korea now have a pet. This compares with 46% in the UK and 62% in the USA. But I was also saddened to hear that even pet owners still distinguish between meat dogs and pet dogs.
 |
| Nureongi- Yellow dogs are popular for meat |
To me, a dog is a dog. No matter what kind of dog it is it doesn't deserve to be killed and eaten and that is what all Westerners think too- a dog is a dog and they all deserve equal rights. But is this correct? True, Westerners don't eat dogs but they do distinguish between different kinds of dogs- those that deserve lives as pets in a loving home and those that can be left to be killed in their millions. You don't agree with me? Admit the fact that practically every person you know who gets a new dog gets a pedigree and pays hundreds or thousands of pounds for the pleasure. These will all be puppies. Even a pedigree dog who has had a previous owner and is therefore a bit older is often considered 'second-hand' and no longer valuable. We continue to buy these infant pedigrees from breeders even though there are thousands of dogs in shelters and council run dog pounds who are unwanted and homeless. We know the homeless dogs are unhappy there. We know that most of them will be euthanised in the next few days or if they are 'lucky' will have found their way to a no-kill shelter but could likely be left to languish there for years. We don't give them a home or save them from death and instead would prefer to buy a 'new' pedigree.
No tale of a homeless dog can entice the majority of us to choose them over the breeders' pedigrees- their history of abuse, their amputated limbs, their loving personalities despite the trials they have endured, the fact that they are sweet young puppies and could have a whole life ahead of them or that they are old and frail and not much time left to receive the love they have never had.
We don't care because we set hugely different values between some dogs and others. This makes us like Koreans.
 |
| Korean Jindo |
The Jindo is South Korea's national dog but I found it strange that this breed was also a popular dog to be killed for meat. At first I was disturbed to find out how Korea's national treasure could so easily be consigned to the dinner plate- what a nation of twisted personalities the Koreans must be, I thought. Until, I considered my own country. In Scotland we love our Highland cows. They are incredibly cute, big, shaggy cattle mainly in a very fetching ginger colour that can be found in our countryside. We proudly show them off on calendars, posters, mug coasters, you name it; where there is a Scottish tourism shop you will find these cows in pictures and as stuffed toys and ornaments. We love them. Yet, these animals still meet the fate of all other farmed animals in Britain- stunned (probably inefficiently), hoisted by 1 leg in to the air, their throats cut and then bled to death. This is what Scottish people allow to be done to their own national treasure. Which, in my mind makes us no better than Koreans in the way we can mix cute and cruelty when it suits us.
 |
| Cute Highland Cow calendar- hang this up in your kitchen while cookimg your beef dinner. |
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| More Highland Cow nonsense- lets people think they are an animal lover |
Helping Animals/ Loving Humans
If you want to do your best to help animals, you have to be a great communicator with humans. To do this you need to develop a relationship with them and a good way to do this is to find some common ground. It's difficult to find common ground or to even want to find common ground if you think they are a subspecies with no morals or heart. Yes, they may do things that we find repugnant but to be reminded of our own imperfections and the excuses we make for these may aid us in finding a way to debate and negotiate with these people in a better and more acceptable manner. Be nice- it will help animals so much more!
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