Jean Chung/Humane World for Animals
Our October 2025 report, Ending the Dog Meat Industry in South Korea: Building a more compassionate society toward dogs, captures a decade of progress by animal advocates, policymakers and citizens demanding an end to dog meat cruelty.
The end of the dog meat industry in South Korea provides a powerful example of how political will, shifting cultural values and strong partnerships can create lasting change.
The report includes:
- A timeline of actions leading to the 2024 announcement of the national ban.
- How local groups and international partners built public and political momentum.
- Humane World’s Models for Change program and how it helped dog meat farmers shift to humane businesses.
- Insights from surveys revealing that 86% of South Koreans now reject dog meat.
- Policy recommendations and lessons for other countries still facing this challenge.
South Korea’s transformation proves that ending animal cruelty and evolving culture can go hand-in-hand. Learn how compassion, collaboration, and courage made this victory for animals possible, and why it’s time to end the dog and cat meat trade once and for all.
Jean Chung/For Humane World for Animals
Speak out against the cruel dog and cat meat trade
Urge the governments of all countries where the trade in dog and cat meat still exists to work diligently and quickly toward eradicating this cruel and unnecessary practice.
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Dogs and cats shouldn't suffer and die for the meat trade. Help us end this cruel and unnecessary practice.
Humane World for Animals works collaboratively with dog meat farmers who wish to leave the industry but lack the resources to do so. We sign legally binding contracts with dog meat farmers, committing them to permanently close their operations.
Our report, “Ending the Dog Meat Industry in South Korea: Building a more compassionate society toward dogs,” tells the story of achieving the impossible for dogs in South Korea.
With a phase-out period during which dog farmers can apply for government compensation and assistance to transition to different livelihoods, the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs and dog meat for human consumption will be illegal in South Korea by 2027.
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