South Korea Dog Meat Farm Welfare Crisis

South Korea’s dog-meat farm welfare crisis is in a transition phase after a landmark national ban was passed in January 2024, but the problem is not yet over. The law bans the breeding, slaughter, sale, and distribution of dogs for human consumption, with full enforcement set for 2027 after a three-year grace period. Until then, thousands of dogs remain on farms and in supply-chain facilities, and animal welfare groups continue to report severe confinement, poor sanitation, injuries, and neglect at some sites. The phase-out process is being shaped by compensation and rehoming measures rather than immediate closure, leaving a large number of animals still in limbo. Recent reporting and NGO activity indicate that rescue and shutdown efforts are continuing, including targeted closures of slaughterhouses and puppy mills, while government and civil-society actors prepare for the ban’s implementation. Humane Society International and related groups have previously described South Korea’s dog-meat trade as involving thousands of farms and millions of dogs annually, though those figures are based on older estimates and should be treated cautiously for the current period. The most concrete recent verified development is the legal end to dog-meat production and sale on a fixed timeline, not yet the physical end of the industry.