Exposed: South Korean Puppy Mills Imprison Dogs in Filthy, Cramped Cages

New PETA Investigation Reveals Rampant Pet Trade Cruelty

Seoul — A brand-new PETA investigation reveals that many animals are suffering in South Korean puppy mills—prematurely separated from their mothers, confined to small pens or rusted cages with painful wire-mesh flooring above piles of feces, and with inflamed, open sores. Video footage from the investigation can be seen here.

In response to the damning footage, two veterinarians—Drs. Katherine van Ekert and Ingrid Taylor—issued expert statements condemning the conditions as cruel and dangerous. Ekert observed that “despicably unsanitary” fecal matter “appears to have been collecting for months,” echoing Taylor’s concerns that “the unsanitary environment not only causes suffering and disease risk to the dogs but is also a public health risk.” Both veterinarians noted that the wire flooring could cause serious injury to dogs’ paws, the constant noise in the facility was loud enough to inflict psychological distress, and the dogs—including puppies—lacked bedding and other enrichment.

Authorities have so far refused to act on PETA’s findings. In recent months, the group sent a letter to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, urging the agency to investigate the mills for possible violations of the Animal Protection Act, but received no reply. PETA also filed complaints with four police stations, each corresponding to a puppy mill location. Just one station visited a mill—and still failed to press charges. Following the passing of the revised Animal Protection Act on April 27, 2023, we’re once again calling on officials to take immediate action to shut down these warehouses of suffering.

“Unable to escape the stench, noise, and pain, these dogs spend their days pacing back and forth in dingy cages without even a blanket to soothe them,” says PETA Senior Vice President Jason Baker. “PETA urges everyone to remember these dogs’ cries and pledge never to buy an animal from a pet store or breeder.”

In addition to facing few legal consequences for cruelty, these puppy mills operate profitably. According to PETA investigators, one operation’s owner estimated that a dog-breeding facility could rake in ₩500 million to ₩600 million annually and another valued the dogs he uses for breeding at ₩3 billion. One owner even admitted that he breeds animals for both the pet trade and dog fighting—and sells dogs for meat when they can no longer fight. For these reasons and more, PETA urges prospective dog guardians to adopt from animal shelters, where millions of deserving dogs are eager to experience love and kindness.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETAAsia.com or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

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