Dog farms: there is estimated to be 17,000 of those across South Korea where 2.5 million canines are raised for food. This is the only country in the world known to routinely and intensively farm dogs for human consumption. The controversial industry is worth nearly £200 million and supplies up to 10,000 licensed and unlicensed dog meat restaurants in South Korea alone. Virtually every breed can be exploited for meat including labradors, beagles, huskies and even chihuahuas. Abandoned pets and dogs snatched on the streets can find themselves stuffed into tiny wire cages and taken to market.
These farms range greatly in size. Some house more than 1,000 dogs at a time, others fewer than 50. Humane Society International (HSI) described the farms as ‘horrific.’ Up to 20 dogs are crammed in a cage. A distressed dog is pulled from the cage and electrocuted. Sometimes it takes minutes for the dogs to die and some butchers resort to smashing their skull with a mallet. Dogs endure the trauma of seeing others killed in front of them or hear whimpers of dogs being electrocuted behind the scenes. Most of the animals spend each day with their paws splayed, as they try to walk on the harsh wire floor.
Some resort to sleeping in their food bowls, as it is the only solid surface in their cage offering respite. Pressure sores are a common sight. The stench of faeces and ammonia mixed with the slop they are forced to eat is overpowering. The consumption of dog is most popular during the summer months over ‘Bok Nal’ days. The period centres on the three hottest days during July and August. This is when a peppery dog meat soup known as ‘bosintang’ is served up in restaurants, believed to improve stamina and virility. However the practice is not unique to South Korea. An estimated 30 million dogs are killed for meat each year across Asia including China, the Philippines, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.
As part of a pioneering scheme to end the trade, the HSI is now offering incentives to farmers to give up their animals and leave the industry behind. In exchange they are trained with new agricultural skills, some going on to run successful blueberry or chilli farms. Vets and animal welfare experts vaccinate the rescued dogs before they undergo a rigorous blood-testing programme to make sure they conform to international regulations and are safe to be adopted. Most are then flown to the USA and Canada, to find new homes.
Puppy farms: a significant proportion of the UK’s estimated 8 million dogs started their lives on puppy farms, which are spread throughout the country. Mother dogs are usually kept in a confined cage, in an isolated converted barn or shed, usually in cold cramped and filthy conditions for 24 hours a day. They are often bred continually, until they are too old to have any puppies, and then destroyed. It’s not really farming, but it’s similar to factory farming because it is about making money at minimal cost, and there is a risk of illness due to poor hygiene standards and nutrition.
Puppies often have behavioural problems because they have not been socialised. Many are advertised on the internet, local newspapers or shop windows. Puppies should stay with their mothers until they are 8 weeks old to ensure they get the proper nutrients from her milk. Be concerned if you discover someone selling a puppy earlier than this. They should be vaccinated and wormed and come with paperwork. Always ask to see the puppy in its home environment with the rest of the litter and parent. The solution really lies with us. We should only buy puppies from reputable sources.
Fish farms: are just as cruel to fish, as factory farms are to farm animals. In the wild, a fish can swim thousands of miles in a lifetime. Industrial farms breed fish in huge sunken pens. They have little or no space to swim freely, the water is filthy and they endure much suffering as a result of overcrowded tanks. Disease runs rife and they have drugs to kill parasites, and keep infection at bay. It is better to buy fish that have had a good life, from oceans or rivers.
Christians Caring For Gods Creatures 