Dog Breeding Farms Are Phasing Out Their Business Faster Than Initially Scheduled

Sejong, 21 August 2025 — On 14 August, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) announced that 461 dog breeding farms where approximately 190,000 dogs had been bred closed down their business over the period from 7 February to 6 August 2025. Approximately 70% (1,072 farms) of the total 1,537 dog breeding farms were closed down over the period of one year since the Special Act on the Termination of Breeding, Slaughter, and Distribution of Dogs for Consumption took effect on 7 August 2024. The MAFRA has been providing incentives for dog farm owners to encourage them to close their businesses earlier.

* A dog breeding farm means a farm that raises dogs for food consumption.

* A dog farm owner refers to a person who operates a dog breeding farm.

A sharp increase in the number of dog breeding farms closed down over the 2nd period (from 7 February to 6 August 2025) is attributable to several factors. The enforcement of the Special Act has driven a perception widely among people that an end to dog meat consumption is a demand of the times that can no longer be resisted. The government’s incentive policy to induce earlier closing of dog breeding farms, combined with a sudden increase in demand for dog meat during the summer, has also affected such closures positively. 

Importantly, according to the findings on dog breeding farm closures of the 2nd period reported to the local governments, there has been an increasing trend in the number of the dog breeding farms that were scheduled to be phased out from 2026 to 2027 but closed down their business earlier. Among 694 dog breeding farms with an initial plan to phase out their business from the 3rd to 6th periods, 249 dog breeding farms (36%) reported their business closures to the local governments. Notably, 172 (34%) out of 507 dog breeding farms scheduled to close down their business in 2027 reported their business closures earlier to the local governments.

Meanwhile, as follow-up measures for closures of dog breeding farms, the MAFRA will continue to provide immediate support for dog breeding farms to ensure that such farms closed down earlier can be demolished without any delay and dog farm owners’ closing or changing their business can be carried out smoothly. The MAFRA will also prevent dog breeding farms from resuming breeding dogs by cracking down on activities such as (a) bringing new dogs for human consumption into a farm, (b) breeding such dogs, and (c) additionally building dog breeding facilities. In addition, the MAFRA will take strict administrative measures against breeding dogs for human consumption. For instance, the MAFRA will order dog breeding farms failing to close down their business to take measures necessary for the implementation of their business closures, and impose administrative fines on such farms. 

Director General Park Jung-hoon of the Animal Welfare and Environment Policy Bureau of the MAFRA said: “Closures of dog breeding farms are being carried out faster than expected, as the dog meat industry has actively been cooperating with the government and the people have been showing special interest in the matter. We will make the utmost effort to create a better ecosystem for animal welfare.”