Blowing Water | Animal euthanasia: after South Korean controversy, it’s time to encourage this humane practice
- A high-profile Korean charity has come under fire for secretly killing more than 200 dogs, but Luisa Tam says lives are often needlessly prolonged causing undue suffering because owners are reluctant to say goodbye
Many years ago I heard multiple horror stories about Hongkongers fattening up their pet dogs only to use their meat for hotpot in the winter.
Decades later, we have seen much progress in the treatment of dogs around Asia. Nowadays they are often viewed as long-term family companions and treated in a more befittingly humane manner.
However, this change in how dogs are perceived has produced moral dilemmas when it comes to end-of-life care.
The ethics surrounding euthanasia were placed under intense scrutiny in South Korea recently after a local high-profile dog charity was found to have secretly ended the lives of more than 200 in the past few years.
When the scandal hit Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE) last year, it sent shock waves through the nation’s animal rights community, because the group had been a staunch advocate of a “no kill” policy and was one of the most prominent animal shelters in the country.
