I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. There is nothing to say that Brexit and our attempt to influence the practices of other nations cannot occur in parallel.
In doing all that, the UK Government must reflect the interests and concerns of all those who have signed this petition and advance those interests in a sensitive and supportive manner, as I said, to bring about an end to the abuse of dogs farmed or stolen for human consumption. The UK Government should also provide diplomatic support for animal rights groups that are operational in South Korea and support their valuable work in taking action in a culturally sensitive and educational manner.
In response to this petition, the UK Government have stated:
“The British Embassy in Seoul has raised the issue of cruelty towards animals on numerous occasions with the South Korean authorities and explained that the UK public and parliamentarians would like to see Korean regulation that would bring the practice to an end. We will continue to seek further opportunities to raise the issue, in particular as we approach the Winter Olympics in 2018, and will monitor developments in the practice in the Republic of Korea.”
In the absence of international norms, laws or agreements governing the trade and consumption of meat, the Scottish National Party believes that it is necessary to work with Governments around the world to build consensus on animal welfare standards and to phase out cruel and inhumane farming.
The trend in South Korea is such that dog meat consumption seems likely to diminish and perhaps even end due to the growing public awareness and recognition of animal rights and the health risks associated with eating dog meat. Dogs are known to be intelligent, trusting and empathetic and possess a range of senses of such acuity that we have only just begun to identify and fully understand them.
Dogs are one of the few animals capable of following a human’s gaze, implying an awareness of “other”. Those attributes arguably differentiate dogs from other animals, and certainly other animals that are normally farmed. We ask the Government to take affirmative action, to listen and to hasten an end to the consumption of dog meat in South Korea. The Scottish National party will support that diplomatic mission.
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