This year's global day of action, co-sponsored by Korean animal protection groups CARE and KAAP, will be held on July 20th, 2006, to coincide with the first of Korea's "Bok days" (literally, the hot, dog days of summer). South Korea's dog meat consumption increases during this time of year because some superstitiously believe they can keep cool by eating animals who do not sweat.
Last year, IDA and AFK successfully organized activists from a dozen countries - including Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Columbia, Ireland, Mexico, Peru, Russia, South Korea, Spain and Tanzania - for this international day of protest. In the U.S., demonstrators converged on Korean consulates and embassies in New York City; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta, Ga.; San Francisco and Los Angeles, Calif.; and Portland, Ore. to oppose the illegal eating of cats and dogs in South Korea.
The international press covered the protests favorably in several newspapers and online news websites. In Seoul, South Korea, dozens of protestors rallied the public against dog and cat consumption with colorful signs, costumes and inventive tactics like locking themselves in small cages dressed as dogs. In San Francisco, 20 people came to IDA's protest at the Korean Consulate and a good number brought their companion dogs to be ambassadors for their exploited canine cousins in Korea. In the few short weeks leading up to the demonstration, activists collected over 5,000 petition signatures, which were presented to the Korean Consulate at the protest.
