Lucy (left), found at a licensed breeder in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, last November, and Lucy, rescued from a breeder in England. (Image courtesy of KARA)
SEOUL, Nov. 27 (Korea Bizwire) – A proposal for a Korean version of “Lucy’s Law” has been presented to tackle the issue of substandard pet breeding centers, commonly known as puppy mills.
Last Thursday, Representative Wi Seong-gon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, along with animal rights organizations such as Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA), convened a press conference advocating for the adoption of the Lucy Act. The proposed act seeks to prohibit the factory breeding and sale of pets.
On the same day, Wi introduced a bill to amend the Animal Protection Act, aiming to forbid the mass production of pets in factories, their auction, and to enhance adherence to animal production breeding and management standards.
Named after Lucy, a dog rescued from a breeding center in the United Kingdom in 2013, the Lucy Act aims to address the inhumane conditions suffered by animals like Lucy, who faced health issues after repeated pregnancies and births. In 2018, the U.K. enacted Lucy’s Law, prohibiting the sale of dogs and cats under six months old to third parties, such as pet shops.
In Korea, the call for legal revisions gained momentum last year following reports exposing poor conditions in pet breeding centers. The Lucy Project, led by animal rights organization KARA, emphasizes the need for legal changes.
The project was named after a dog that KARA named Lucy, who tragically died after giving birth multiple times at a licensed breeding center in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, in November last year. Lucy, weighing only 2.5 kilograms and suffering from a genital hernia due to repeated childbirth, died shortly after rescue. A total of 81 dogs were rescued from the site.
The push for legal amendments gained urgency when a kennel in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, was exposed in September for large-scale breeding, housing over 1,420 dogs. Instances of animal cruelty, including illegal surgery on female dogs and the exploitation of their bodies for financial gain, were uncovered.
This facility had been breeding dogs well beyond its licensed capacity and utilizing female dogs to attract investors.
The proposed ‘Korean Lucy’s Law’ has been tailored to suit the domestic animal production environment. Its primary objectives include eliminating the auction industry promoting indiscriminate breeding, restricting the sale of baby animals (under 6 months old), and curtailing third-party trading (pet shops).
Key provisions of the bill encompass: prohibiting animal trade for auction and speculation purposes; disallowing the breeding of dogs and cats over 60 months old; restricting the total number of animals bred to 100 for those over 6 months old; adjusting the age threshold for the sale of dogs and cats from 2 months to less than 6 months; mandating direct delivery of animals to buyers upon sale; and forbidding transactions arranged or brokered through auctions.
Addressing the broader issue, it is highlighted that despite approximately 130,000 stray animals annually, half of which go unadopted and perish in municipal shelters, an estimated 200,000 pets are produced and sold annually through puppy mills, auctions, and pet shops.
This stark contrast raises concerns about the exploitation and commercialization of animal life, neglecting homeless animals, and perpetuating abuse. The proponents of the Lucy Act express hope that its implementation will bring an end to structural animal cruelty.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
