Court rules dog meat edible food

Filed 10:00 - 11/21/96

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) In a landmark decision that paves the way for dog
meat to be sold legally in South Korea, an appeals court has ruled that
it is ``edible food.''

A lower court had found a 35-year-old man guilty of selling dog meat and
fined him $3,700. But the Seoul Appellate Court overruled the lower court
Wednesday and suspended the sentence.

Senior judge Park Sung-chul, who issued the ruling, said dog meat should
be considered ``edible food'' because it is widely eaten by Koreans.

``The defendant deserves punishment for selling edible food without
government permission, but he cannot be punished in the absence of
pertinent laws governing the slaughtering of dogs and their meat,'' he
said.

In South Korea, dog meat is considered a delicacy that can enhance health
and sexual prowess. It is openly purchased and served.

Concerned about the country's image abroad, the South Korean government
banned the sale and consumption of dog meat during the 1988 Summer
Olympics in Seoul. After the Olympics, the ban was not strictly enforced.

The court ruling does not make selling dog meat legal, but it opens up
legal challenges to the government ban.


Copyright 1996 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

aloha!
	hoo boy!  instincto comments?  others?  anyone ever tried the
canine delicacy?  i can just see the newpaper ads now:  "$$$ for dog.
don't let the vet *charge* you to put your pooch down when i'll *pay* you
to let me compassionately end the life of your loved one.  those who wish
to witness the final moments of their faithful companion must first waive
their fee.  guarantee:  my instincto tribe will eat every tasty section
of your best friend, fresh or dried.  skin will go for mocassins, shirts,
pants, teepees, etc.  bones & teeth composted/buried.  discreet.  call
from 4am to 8pm.  408.555.1212.  ask for eskimo."

	or something like that.  personally, i will bury my cat when she
dies.  i've seen her eat too many things from a can... and i don't think
i could easily handle the emotional component of such an action.  anyone
out there who loves animals *and* eats them (i mean their own pets)?


in the dog house,
		 bodhi