The Efforts to Rescue Some Maltreated Dogs

A recent shocking animal mistreatment incident, so called “dogs’ hell” that happened in Jangsu-dong, Incheon, Seoul, aroused Korean people’s attention to the protection of animals and the respect for their lives.

As part of a readjustment of town-lots, a government office in Incheon tried to relocate a dog farm within its jurisdiction. But the owner of the dog farm refused, insisting a high amount of compensation. The owner started to protest against the local government by building a small sized temporary quarters for the dogs right next to the original farm, and then began putting the dogs in there. Innocent dogs were confined like prisoners, locked-up in cramped iron barred cages until they died. In the beginning, there were hundreds of dogs, but within a year the number of the dogs had decreased to only about one hundred. The horror of the scene of events at this farm was beyond words; no animal protection organization had ever seen anything as bad as this. And to make matters worse, there was no actual animal protection law in Korea to stop this kind of cruelty to animals. Thus the city authority and animal protection organizations couldn’t take any legal action against the owner of the dogs; they could only try to persuade him to release them. This cruel situation was aired nationwide on March 12, Golden Year 3 (2006), by an investigative TV report program, and raised public anger.

A sister-initiate, president of CARE, speaking up about the case and being interviewed by a journalist.

On March 14, fellow initiates, people from the animal protection organizations and a sister-initiate, an animal protection activist and the president of CARE, visited the farm, bringing with them some vegetarian dog food. Dogs’ bones and skins were scattered everywhere, emitting an awful smell. While praying to Master, the fellow practitioners together with the people from animal protection organizations tried for a long time to persuade the owner to release the dogs. At first the owner strongly and repeatedly refused; but after some time, thanks to the initiates’ sincere appeal, he started to change his mind and finally agreed that some sick dogs could be taken for treatment. It was a dramatic change because he had persistently insisted on a high amount of compensation. The initiates were thankful to Master for making the impossible possible and decided to rescue the dogs in a hurry before the owner changed his mind. The animal protection organizations decided to return on March 16 to rescue the dogs of Jangsu-dong, and recruited volunteers to help with this mission. To implement this operation, an extension to the existing animal shelter was urgently needed for the rescued dogs. Thus, the day before the rescue was to take place, three initiates including a carpenter worked all day long to prepare the new home for the sick dogs.

Fellow initiates rescuing dogs from ‘dog hell’.

On the morning of March 16, veterinarians, volunteers and initiates worked together to rescue the dogs. In the rain, with our bodies smeared with the filth from the confined cages, we loaded about 30 dogs into a truck. The owner then appeared and tried to stubbornly stop us from taking any more dogs. The initiates once again tried to persuade him to release more sick dogs, and after about 30 minutes of intense talking, he finally gave us permission to take only 10 more dogs. The volunteers put all their energy into rescuing as many dogs as possible, and were able to rescue 23 more dogs. Over all, 50 dogs were taken to the dog shelter and this scene was broadcasted nationwide on the 9 o’clock news.

After arriving at the dog shelter and entering the roomy cages, the dogs felt strange yet revitalized in the new surroundings. It appeared that they, who had been dying in those filthy conditions, were recovering their strength at an incredibly fast speed in this clean and positive environment.

A protest to enforce animal protection laws was held on March 26, in front of City Hall, for the protection of maltreated animals. Many people participated in the demonstration including well-known celebrities. The fellow practitioners also joined the event, holding pickets and lit candles. The remaining dogs at the Jangsu-dong farm were all rescued, and when they were brought to the City Hall where the demonstration was, they received a big applause.

The case was introduced as major news in Naver, the representative portal site of Korea.

This unprecedented event, of the maltreatment of animals, provoked a lot of public anger and raised keen awareness on animal related issues among people. The incident was unfortunate and so sad, but the social implications it brought about were huge. Because this was the cover story of different media every day, it triggered heated discussions that opened our consciousness to the rights and dignity of animals and awakened the humanitarian conscience within us all. Furthermore, the bureaucratic offices came to have a different view on animal protection and many people naturally came to join the animal protection organizations. As spread widely through TV and Internet, the incident enhanced public awareness on the protection of animals and the respect for their lives, and a lot of requests demanding the amendment of the Animal Protection Law were posted on Internet forums. In addition, after the incident, the Alternative Living flyer that was posted on the websites of the animal protection organizations is now receiving more support and empathy, and more and more people are becoming vegetarians.

The initiates feel that without Master’s great Love, the owner of the dogs wouldn’t have been able to change his thinking to comply with their request to release the dogs, and the dogs wouldn’t have been rescued and taken to a new home. So they expressed their sincerest thanks to Master. Although suffering dogs were saved, the efforts to end the cruelty to animals will continue through the vegetarian movement that saves the lives of our weaker young brothers, along with the on-going signature collecting campaign for the amendment of the animal laws.