Foreigners eating dog meat at a restaurant in South Korea

One of the biggest social campaigns for animal welfare ever — the "Stop Killing Dogs" online petition at www.uniteddogs.com/stopkillingdogs - is part of the World Animal Day programme and has already gathered 250,000 signatures world wide.

Over 2,000,000 dogs are raised and killed for food in dog farms in South Korea every year. They are subjected to suffering and deprivation, they are electrocuted, hanged, burned or beaten to death.

By the time you reach the end of this press release, 5 dogs have been killed for their meat.

A quarter of a million people have already signed the petition at www.uniteddogs.com/stopkillingdogs. United Dogs and Cats is hosting the online petition campaign in 10 different languages to draw the world's attention to the cruel treatment of many dogs in South Korea despite Animal Protection Laws that have been in place since early 1990s.

The campaign is also part of the World Animal Day programme, celebrated on October 4 since the year 1931, and with the help of this event the world’s eyes turn to South Korea once again.

“This is probably the cruelest thing that could happen to companion animals - many are tortured and end up on dinner tables. And the strangest thing is that it is happening right under our noses in one of the most rapidly developing countries in the 21st century," says United Dogs and Cats head Ragnar Sass.

South Korea has the world’s 15th largest economy and all the appearances of a modern developed country. Korean success stories and accomplishments in all fields of life are admirable.

Yet the government is unwilling to put an end to the brutal and disturbing dog meat industry. With international protests and petitions the world can pressure South Korea into fully recognizing and respecting the special status of dogs as companions, family members, and helpers.

So far the local government has banned dog meat temporarily during the 1988 Seoul Olympics and 2002 FIFA Cup in fear of bad international reputation.

You can watch the eye-opening video “A Dog's Life” and learn more about the issue at www.uniteddogs.com/stopkillingdogs. The signatures
will be presented to South Korean officials in Seoul by Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA) as soon as 1 million or more signatures have been gathered.

The dog meat issue in South Korea is complex and always fuels an array of emotions. For a concise and accurate overview of the situation, we suggest consulting Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA) English page
at http://animalrightskorea.org/dog-meat-issue/current-situation-of-koreas-dog-meat-industry.html.

You may also want to see the latest (2008) Animal Protection Law in an unofficial English translation at
http://animalrightskorea.org/animal-welfare/korean-animal-protection-law-2008-version.html

About United Dogs and Cats Ltd
Founded in 2007, United Dogs and Cats Ltd is the maker of Europe's leading social networking sites for pet-owners, Uniteddogs.com and Unitedcats.com