Help Animals in Korea

Donate

Korean Animals Need Your Help

It is all too easy to find suffering animals in Korea: dogs chained up 24 hours/day enduring rain, snow, and summer heat, or living in cages with their own waste; puppies lost or abandoned by their owners, sick and starving on the streets; abandoned housecats and feral cats in the streets dying from disease or being hit by cars, even cats on tethers without water in the sun. The gallery has many examples of animals who are suffering in all parts of Korea. Of course, Korea is not the only place where animals suffer. Pet abusers, puppy mills, factory farms, zoos, and circuses cause pain to animals all over the world.

In Korea, the few animal shelters that exist don’t have enough space for all of the cats and dogs who need their help. One shelter alone reports that they receive over 100 animals/day during kitten season . Uncontrolled breeding and a “disposable pet” mentality are causing a major crisis.

Rescue Stories

To directly help animals without relying on overcrowded shelters I began to rescue and foster animals myself, as do a few other people I know. Take a look at some photos of cats and dogs who’ve found homes thanks to people who’ve taken the time to help. Here are a few rescue stories about dogs and cats who made their way from street, chain, or cage into happy homes:

Lolita Capone. Rescued April, 2007.

This 2.7kg Maltese was living chained to a makeshift doghouse when Mark and Louise first spotted her. They began feeding her, replaced the broken collar that was piercing her neck, and gave her a spare bed to keep her warm during winter. Someone saw her photo and wanted to adopt her! Mark and Louise then took her to the groomer and vet where they spent over 350,000 won on tests and treatment of her skin infection. Lolita tested positive for heartworm disease and has received another 150,000 won worth of (discounted) treatment. She is recovering well and is happy in her new home.

King. Rescued April, 2007.

Poor boy King was chained up outside without a house when I first met in on a snowy winter day. I bought him a doghouse and started bringing food and treats. Last week, I was finally able to take him into my foster care. He received heartworm, parvo, and distemper tests, full bloodwork, and has already been neutered. So far his costs amount to 245,000 won, but his smile makes it worth it. UPDATE May 9th: King was adopted and now lives the life of a king in Seoul!

Scruffy. Rescued January, 2007.

A schnauzer mix with a will to survive, this lucky boy was found hobbling in the streets of Icheon with a compound fracture in his hind leg. His rescuer paid 500,000 won for surgery to correct the bone. Nine weeks in foster care, and another 400,000 won later, the pins have been removed, he was neutered, his antibiotics are finished and the bone has healed. He is now learning to use his leg again, but even on three legs he’s really fast. Scruffy is now loving life with his original rescuer.

Sunny. Rescued October, 2006.

Sunny was once a farm dog tethered by a short chain to an old wooden dog house. After I visited her for a few weeks, her owner just gave her to me. Unfortunately, she tested positive for heartworm disease, went into heat, and developed separation anxiety… all in the same week. Her initial tests, heartworm treatment, medicine, totaled 487,000 won (after a considerable discount from the vet). After 2 months in foster care, Sunny made an amazing recovery to the point of becoming crate trained and being calm upon departures. She found a loving home with a university law professor, and has cleared her heartworm retest.

Goldie. Resuced June, 2006.

When I first saw the knotted mass of dirty hair in a cage and discovered it was a live dog, I promised her I’d help her not knowing what I could really do. Amazingly, someone saw her photo and wanted to adopt her. I bought the dog for 50,000 won and then took her for grooming and tests. She tested positive for heartworm disease. After full blood tests, discounted treatment (470,000 won), and two weeks of foster care, we drove Goldie to her new home in Seoul. She has since cleared her heartworm retest, gotten vaccinations, and loves her life as an urban dog in Seoul.

Chin Chin. Rescued January, 2006.

A mini-schnauzer identical to my own peered at me from a corner of a gas station. She was living chained to a tipped over trashcan, but the owners assured me they took her inside the lobby on cold nights. However, when I visited her three days after a January rainfall, I noticed her bedding was still wet. Several Korean friends edited my note asking if I could have her. The owner agreed the next day. The vet found Chin Chin healthy, but very underweight. We fed her and fed her, gave her all her vaccinations, and had her spayed once she had gained enough weight. By that time, my parents wanted to adopt her. Six months in foster care cost 437,000 won plus food. My parents paid for her flight to Canada. She has since been voted “most improved” in her obedience class and now lives a life of luxury.

How You Can Help

If you are looking for a way to help cats and dogs in Korea but cannot adopt or foster one at this time, consider making a donation to support the animals already in foster care, or hoping to get to a foster home.

The Cost of Rescue

Medical and fostering expenses unfortunately add up rather quickly. If you would like to help cover the cost of providing medical care for rescued cats and dogs, any amount of help would be greatly appreciated. Here is a rough breakdown of some common expenses in Korea:

$8	formula for an orphaned kitten or puppy
$10-15	a small bag of cat litter
$15	parasite preventative, rabies vaccination or a small bag of food
$20	one Xray, or a fungal infection test
$25	heartworm test
$30	grooming on the first and worst-looking day
$70-90	the cost of full blood work (needed before heartworm treatment or surgery)
$75	the series of 5 DHPPL vaccinations for a dog
$90	one neuter surgery (not including bloodwork)
$150	one spay surgery (not including bloodwork)
$200-300	injection to treat heartworm disease (two needed)

How to Make a Donation

Use the secure Paypal button below. You don’t need a Paypal account to make a donation, just a debit or credit card. Please contact me if you have any questions or if you would prefer to use some other method of payment.

Donate Pet Supplies

Alternatively, if you would like to reduce the cost of rescue by donating any gently-used pet supplies, please see the pet rescue wish list for ideas of some things I would be forever grateful to receive. Many items are passed along with foster animals to their new homes, so they need to be repurchased often.

Animals Waiting For Help

Although finding better homes for these animals may be a far off dream, it would help them in the meantime to provide proper shelter, medical treatment, food, and/or sterilization.