8 Out of 10 Dog Meat Farms Close Down: "End of Dog Meat Consumption on Track for February 2027"

It has been found that 8 out of 10 dog meat farms have closed down. The government expects that the end of dog meat consumption will proceed as planned by the target date of February 2027.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on December 28 that, as of December 21, 125 farms had reported closure during the third period (August 7 to December 21) through local governments, with the number of dogs reduced by 47,544.

Since the Dog Meat Consumption Ban Act came into effect on August 7 last year, closures accelerated, and by this year, 1,204 out of a total of 1,537 dog meat farms-about 78%-have shut down.

An official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs stated, "The sharp increase in closures, compared to initial expectations, is the result of heightened public interest in ending dog meat consumption, early closure incentives, policy effects, and active encouragement by local governments. If this trend continues, the end of dog meat consumption is expected to proceed smoothly by the original target date of February 2027."

The ministry is working with local governments to promptly support farms that close early, and is also providing loans for the construction and renovation of livestock facilities, as well as consulting services, to farms wishing to transition to raising other livestock. In addition, the ministry plans to prevent the resumption of dog breeding and minimize the occurrence of remaining dogs through ongoing monitoring of breeding and stocking trends and strengthened compliance checks on remaining farms.

Joo Woncheol, Director of Animal Welfare and Environment Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "To achieve an early end to dog meat consumption and help Korea become a leading nation in animal welfare, we ask that farms which have not yet closed actively cooperate with government policies."