Animal rights campaigners rescued two puppies at a South Korea market, claiming they were moments from slaughter despite the country’s ban on killing dogs.
Sian Davies, from Cardiff, saved the Jindo puppies from the Moran Market where she claims dogs are clubbed to death before being turned into soup.
The 53-year-old visited with fellow activists Suzi Lee and Helen Kim to ‘learn the truth’ about the dog trade.
Animal rights campaigners rescued two puppies (pictured) at a South Korea meat market


As many as 80,000 dogs were slaughtered a year in Moran Market before the killing ban
She said: ‘The dog meat selling was supposed to be banned but we saw live dogs displayed and although we did not see dogs being slaughtered there we certainly knew they were.
‘We heard them and saw a butcher coming out for a wheelbarrow and of course we have seen, photographed and videoed the live dogs on display.’
In a lengthy Facebook post, Ms Davies explained how the activists went about rescuing two dogs they believed would be slaughtered.
She wrote: ‘We saw rows and rows of cases with dog meat and glass display cases with dead dogs.
‘We were about to cross the road when an old guy came right in front of us with a box and a jindo puppy popped his head out.


Sian Davies (left with the rescued dogs), from Cardiff, saved the puppies from the Moran Market where she claims dogs are clubbed to death before being turned into soup

These are the two dogs that Ms Davies ‘saved’ from the Moran market in South Korea
‘We asked about the puppy and another puppy popped its head out, he told us he was here to sell them.
‘We asked what price he would get and he told us 50,000kw which is $46 for both pups, that’s all their lives were worth.
‘The dog meat traders started to shout at us and sprayed water as we were trying to ask the old man to give us the pups and we used that to say to him they were shaming him and he agreed to give us the pups.’
Dog meat consumption is a grey area in South Korean law. Last month the state banned the killing of dogs but did not ban consumption.
It comes as Indonesia is preparing a regulation to ban the trade of meat derived from pets and exotic animals.
The ban aims to promote animal welfare and rein in disease, an official said on Tuesday as the decision was cheered by animal rights campaigners.


In a lengthy Facebook post, Ms Davies explained how the activists went about the rescue. She wrote: ‘We saw rows and rows of cases with dog meat and glass display cases with dead dogs’
People in some parts of the Southeast Asian nation are known to consume dog meat and the government faces pressure from animal rights groups to tackle the issue.
‘(Dog meat) is not food, according to our food law,’ said Syamsu Ma’arif, director of veterinary public health at the agriculture ministry, adding that the ministry was still gathering material to back the planned regulation.
He gave no timeline for it to be issued or when it would take effect.
There is no data on how much dog meat is consumed in Indonesia, but 2015 research cited by the agriculture ministry showed that about 730,000 dogs enter the capital, Jakarta, from West Java each year for consumption.
By comparison, nearby Vietnam consumes 5 million dogs every year, the Asia Canine Protection Alliance says.
Animal rights groups applauded Indonesia’s decision while calling for an end to trading in meat derived from pets.

Ms Davies (centre) visited with fellow activists Suzi Lee and Helen Kim to ‘learn the truth’ about the dog trade
‘Customs evolve and the nationwide movement calling for an end to these trades is proof that Indonesia is ready to banish the dog meat trade to the history books,’ said Lola Webber, coordinator of the Dog Meat-Free Indonesia coalition.
‘This latest announcement will be celebrated globally,’ added Webber, whose coalition recently warned against exposure to the rabies virus from eating dog and cat meat.
Indonesia’s pledge could have a cascade effect across Asia, the Humane Society International said, if it spurs action in countries where dog meat is also consumed, such as China, Korea and Vietnam.
‘Pressure from the West does get acknowledged, but an Indonesian ban could be a far more powerful driver for change,’ said the society’s director, Wendy Higgins.