As more and more people rescue dogs from overseas shelters, more awareness is being raised about the abhorrent conditions and fates the animals are saved from.
And in recent years, dogs saved from an unthinkable end from Asia’s meat trade have become popular pets in the UK.
As a result, there have been further calls to end events like the Yulin meat festival in China, where over 10,000 dogs are eaten over a 10 day period each year.
But the ancient tradition seems to be declining as it becomes increasingly frowned upon, seemingly in correlation with a rise in pet ownership in China and South Korea.
South Korea’s dog-loving President Moon, who owns several dogs and cats, has pondered banning the eating of dog meat.
Owners of meat trade surviving dogs have welcomed the idea, and say it’s "disgusting" it’s been allowed to go on for so long, despite obvious controversy.
Becca Collier-Cook rescued her dog, Daisy, from the meat trade in China. The Shiba Inu has three legs, with one believed to have been broken as the dog was used to produce more puppies to sell in the trade.
The 27-year-old, from Whitstable, rescued the eight-year-old dog in September last year through charities Underdog UK and Slaughterhouse Survivors.
She said: “Daisy’s history is a tricky one, we do have some photos of just before she had the leg amputated, but we’re still unsure on whether it was a human that did it to her. Her place in the meat trade was being a puppy machine - she’s had so many babies - and I believe once she got older, she couldn’t have them any more and her captors broke her and another dog’s leg to control them.
“It just seems like an odd coincidence that both dogs in the cage had the exact same leg broken.”
Some parts of Asia have now introduced laws to reduce cruelty in the trade, such as hanging live animals and beating them to ‘tenderise the meat’, but such laws are unevenly enforced in the country.
Becca, who lives with her partner Lewis, and the three-legged Shiba, said: “I honestly can’t understand how it’s still a thing, so I hope the ban works. Humans don’t deserve animals.
“Daisy is so cheeky and is known to be a bit of an escape artist/mountain goat, even though she only has three legs. She’s the most beautiful dog I’ve ever seen and I’m in awe of how strong she is.”
Despite being unsure whether they would be the right home for a three-legged dog, Daisy soon settled into life in the UK, despite her traumatic start in life.
Becca added: “I like to think she knew I was her forever mum and would climb mountains to protect her. She took a while to warm up to other dogs, but was soon running around the park chasing them or running along the sandy beach.”
The number of domesticated pet dogs and cats in South Korea has risen from 2.57 million to 6.38 million over the last six years, and around 80 per cent of South Koreans agreed that the sale of both dog and cat meat should be banned.
Just under 50 per cent believed the consumption of dog meat should be a criminal offence.
Alexandra Burke, 22, from Hanley, in Stoke-on-Trent, rescued crossbreed Queenie earlier this year.
She said: “It’s reassuring to hear the proposal to ban eating dog meat, as I am aware the younger generation in Korea are quite heavily against it as a majority. It’s a huge step in the right direction for dogs.”
Queenie was rescued from Korea, and whilst Alex and her partner, 32-year-old Geo, know little about her background, she does get easily frightened by electrical or metallic noises.
Alex said: “We wanted to rescue as we believe in giving a dog a chance at a happy life, it helps to bring a dog back to life - especially from such horrific circumstances. We felt we had room in our heart to bring this pup back to happiness!
“We fell across Queenie by a complete accident on Pets4homes, and learnt more about the horrors of the trade and knew we had to save her.
“I had heard bits about the trade, but didn’t realise it was quite as accessible and common as it was.”
But Alex worries that a ban might lead to more covert ways of running a more underground trade.
She added: “Queenie has such a personality and loves life, and it’s horrible to imagine her any other way. She deserves a chance to be in a loving home with a family. I just worry about the well-being of other dogs stuck there now, let alone when it’s banned and they hide it even further.”
In recent years, local governments have shut down dog farms and slaughterhouses, with one of the largest closed in November 2018, marking a landmark moment for animal rights campaigners.
Fewer restaurants now offer dog meat dishes, such as bosintang soup, with their clientele becoming increasingly elderly.
Following President Moon’s comments on the ban, Nara Kim, of Humane Society International, said: “I welcome these words from President Moon and hope it signals the beginning of the end for the brutal industry.
“These dogs live a dreadful existence, locked in cages their whole lives, most in a pitiful state of malnutrition, skin disease and fear, only to be painfully electrocuted often in front of each other.
“It’s like a living nightmare, all to produce a meat most Koreans don’t want to eat.”
