[Initial Report] The 'Korean Version of the Lucy Law' That Makes Both Animals and People Happy

'Lucy’s law' is a UK law that prohibits factory-style breeding practices that mass-produce puppies or kittens under six months of age. 'Lucy,' a dog rescued in 2013 from a breeding facility in South Wales, UK, had been repeatedly impregnated and given birth to puppies for six years before being adopted into a new home in 2013. She suffered from epilepsy and arthritis and passed away in 2016. This incident prompted the UK animal organization 'Pup Aid' to raise awareness about the problems of factory breeding, leading to the enactment of Lucy’s law in 2018.

In Korea, there are 2,177 factory-style breeding facilities licensed by the government. Puppies born in these breeding facilities are forcibly separated from their mothers before two months of age, without being properly weaned or learning natural interactions, and are displayed like dolls in pet shops to be sold. Puppies that find owners in shops may be lucky enough to live as part of a human family before crossing the rainbow bridge, but they are often abandoned as easily as they were acquired. Dogs that die in breeding facilities are discarded in garbage bags.

Recently, as animal abuse incidents have continued to occur in pet breeding facilities, public opinion has been growing in favor of introducing a 'Korean version of Lucy’s law.' Over 140,000 people have signed petitions supporting this. In the National Assembly, Representative Wi Seong-gon of the Democratic Party proposed a bill last November, and independent Representative Yoon Mi-hyang introduced another bill last month to amend the Animal Protection Act to restrict the sale and third-party transactions of puppies and kittens under six months of age.

However, public opinion is divided. Animal rights groups are urging swift legislation, but industry workers argue that producing and distributing puppies is a matter of livelihood and survival rights, and they resist the changes.

Recently, the French daily Les Echos reported that the number of Korean households with pets increased from 3.6 million ten years ago to about 6 million in 2022, and that so-called 'dog strollers' for pets sold more than baby strollers. Last year, Korea’s total fertility rate was 0.78, only half the OECD average of 1.59, drawing global attention to the fact that dog strollers outsold baby strollers.

Along with the growth of the pet-related industry, public perception of pets is also changing. A special law banning dog meat passed the National Assembly, which will fully prohibit dog breeding, slaughter, and distribution starting in 2027. Jeongeup City in Jeollabuk-do became the first local government to abolish bullfighting amid animal abuse controversies.

The words of dog trainer Kang Hyung-wook, known as the 'Dog President,' during a lecture remain memorable. He asserted, "Under no circumstances can animal welfare take precedence over human welfare." He added, "People say, 'What animal welfare when people are struggling to make a living?' But dogs are raised by people. Those who know how to respect animals also know how to respect people. Countries with well-established child and elderly welfare also raise companion dogs well."

Mahatma Gandhi also said, "The greatness and moral progress of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated. I believe that the more vulnerable the animal, the more thoroughly it must be protected from human cruelty." We hope for a country where both animals and people can live happily, and we await the enactment of the Korean version of Lucy’s law.