Good to Pet and Eat: The Keeping and Consuming of Dogs and Cats in South Korea

Anthony L. Podberscek,

Corresponding Author

Anthony L. Podberscek

University of Cambridge

*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Dr. Anthony L. Podberscek, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Centre for Animal Welfare & Anthrozoology, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK [e-mail: [email protected]].Search for more papers by this author

Anthony L. Podberscek,

Corresponding Author

Anthony L. Podberscek

University of Cambridge

First published: 23 July 2009

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2009.01616.x

Citations: 85

Thanks to the International Fund for Animal Welfare for funding the project, and to International Aid for Korean Animals for providing some funds for the MORI poll. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the funding organizations.

Special thanks to Carol McKenna and Paul Littlefair for very helpful discussions and for supplying information. Others who helped with providing information are Yong-Geun Ann, George Choi, Juliet Clutton-Brock, Katarzyna Cwiertka, Kyenan Kum, Mark Lawrie, Kim Matthews, Cindy Milburn, James Serpell, Joanna Swabe, and Dan Tucker—thank you very much. Finally, many thanks to Adrienne Thomas, John Livesey and an anonymous referee for reading and commenting on an earlier draft of this manuscript.

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Abstract

Over the past few decades, there has been mounting criticism, mainly from Western societies, of the practice of consuming dogs and cats in South Korea. In the current study, I researched historical, cultural, and demographic details on, and South Korean people's attitudes to, this practice. Data were collected in two ways. Firstly, relevant information on the history and current status of dog and cat use, including consumption, was sourced from the academic literature, newspaper reports, websites, and animal welfare organizations. Secondly, in 2004, the polling agency Market & Opinion Research International (MORI) was contracted to survey 1,000 adults (15 years and above) in South Korea on their attitudes to keeping cats and dogs as pets and to the consumption of these species. The consumption of dogs has a long history in South Korea while the consumption of cats is more recent. Pet ownership is a more recent phenomenon and is growing steadily. Banning the eating of dogs was not supported in the survey. Unlike cat consumption, dog consumption is strongly linked to national identity in South Korea, and it seems that calls from the West to ban the practice are viewed by South Koreans as an attack on their culture.

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Volume65, Issue3

September 2009

Pages 615-632

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Good to Pet and Eat: The Keeping and Consuming of Dogs and Cats in South Korea

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