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Sharing for Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE)

On Monday, December 23rd, CARE received an urgent tip and immediately went to the scene! After a tense situation that lasted until dawn, all 42 animals were successfully rescued!

The tip stated: “Over 50 dogs and cats have been abandoned in a closed pet shop for more than six months, and they have been starving for two weeks. Reporting to the local government has been useless, and the animal welfare organizations I contacted haven’t come.”

The information about the animals starving for two weeks and the video we received were shocking. It was a chaotic scene of cats desperately trying to escape through the wire mesh.
When we arrived, 32 cats and 10 dogs were covered in feces and were nothing but skin and bones. The white Bichon Frises were matted with filth and had turned brown. The cats devoured the food and water we gave them, their faces buried in the bowls for over an hour. Their bones protruded, and their bellies were as thin as paper.

Residents expressed their frustration: “We’ve begged the local government to help these animals, but they’ve done nothing. It’s been useless. Dead bodies keep turning up, left outside in garbage bags.”

The pet shop owner is currently imprisoned for investment fraud related to animal sales. The unregistered pet shop had been operating for a year, and the animals were abandoned six months ago. Despite several complaints, the local government visited the site but showed no concern for the animals’ welfare and took no administrative action. They even visited about ten days prior but ignored the animals’ terrible condition.

CARE broadcast a live YouTube video from the scene, urging citizens and organizations to participate in the rescue. Due to ownership issues, we couldn’t immediately proceed and requested the local government’s presence. However, the Suwon City Hall initially refused, citing the late hour. Only after a flood of complaints did they arrive two hours later.

CARE requested that the “Abandoned Animal Acquisition System” be applied since the pet shop owner was imprisoned. CARE also obtained an ownership waiver from the owner’s family as a supplementary measure. After persuading the Suwon City Hall for over an hour, they finally decided to temporarily allow CARE to move all the animals to a safe place.

All the animals were finally out of that hellish place. On the same day, “Haksamo,” who came to help, took 10 cats, and individual activists took 3. Animal Rights Citizens’ Coalition “Ray” took 5. The remaining animals are being cared for by CARE, and several organizations, including those affiliated with Jeon Gil-yeon and “Nest Mandy Mom,” are helping with adoptions and fostering. We are truly grateful for their help.

The Suwon City Hall will soon obtain a formal waiver of ownership. All the rescued animals will receive essential checkups and treatment and be adopted into safe homes.

❣️Please contribute to the basic checkup costs for the animals who narrowly escaped death and the medical expenses for those still receiving treatment!

❗️Please help with the animals’ medical expenses❗️ Urgent Treatment Support Relay

Update: All the cats have now found foster homes or been adopted, thanks to the help of many activists and organizations. However, four cats remain at the hospital and still need foster care. It’s a relief that many of the 42 animals found safe places in less than 10 days. We will continue to work hard to find good homes for the remaining ones. Due to the large scale of the rescue, basic veterinary costs are insufficient. We aim to raise 10 million won (approximately $7,700 USD) for treatment. On this first day of 2025, please join us in helping these rescued animals and supporting future rescue efforts!

💗🐾🙏 In addition to these recent rescues, CARE provides a sanctuary for 800 dogs at their shelters, all rescued from the horrors of dog meat farms and puppy mills. Your donation will support CARE’s vital mission to end the dog meat trade and animal cruelty in South Korea, and will directly assist with the medical care, fostering, and overseas adoption of these deserving dogs.
You can make a one-time or monthly donation via PayPal. 👉 https://animalrights.or.kr/pages/paypal.php
Thank you for your support! 💙

💗 To donate to Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE), the best option is to contribute directly to them. However, we have set up a GoFundMe page for those who prefer an alternative where you can donate and share with your friends and family. Rest assured, 100% of the funds raised on GoFundMe will be donated to CARE. (South Korea is not on the list of Countries supported on GoFundMe, so KoreanDogs.org is raising money for CARE instead.) 👉 GoFundMe Link: https://gofund.me/d483838d