A Plea for Compassion: Protect Chained Dogs from Burning Alive in South Korean Wildfires (Sister City: Andong & Cedar Rapids, Iowa)

posted by KoreanDogs.org team on April 16,2025 in Action Alert, Break the Chains, Forest fire, South Korea

News: In Andong, a dog farmer/butcher’s abandonment of 700 dogs trapped in raised wire cages to a gruesome death in a wildfire starkly exposes the deep-rooted and long-standing indifference of Korean society and its authorities toward the immense suffering of dogs, particularly those bred for meat who endure unimaginable misery throughout their lives.
⚖️ Demand Justice: 700 Dogs Burned Alive in Andong – Owner Evacuated Alone!

Despite the revised Animal Protection Act of 2023, South Korea continues to allow the cruel practice of lifelong tethering, often with chains far shorter than the supposed two-meter minimum. Weak enforcement leaves countless “rural dogs” to suffer in filth, neglect, and isolation, treated as mere property.

Tragically, this systemic neglect results in horrific deaths during disasters like the recent wildfires. Helpless dogs, chained and caged, are left to burn alive as their owners evacuate, abandoning their loyal companions to unimaginable agony. This is not mere indifference but a callous betrayal that stains South Korea’s conscience.

With its inadequate leash length and poor enforcement, the revised law fails to protect these animals. Lifelong tethering must be banned outright.

We demand immediate action:
• Enact and strictly enforce a complete ban on lifelong tethering.
• Drastically strengthen enforcement of animal welfare laws with severe penalties for neglect.
• Mandatory disaster evacuation protocols must unequivocally require the evacuation of all dogs alongside their human guardians, forbidding any dog from being left tethered or confined during evacuations.

We urge the Sister Cities of South Korea to take a stand against this cruelty. Their partnerships cannot ignore the horrific reality of dogs chained and left to burn alive. We ask them to contact their counterparts in South Korea and demand meaningful laws to protect dogs, including a ban on tethering and mandatory pet evacuation during emergencies.

The world is watching. South Korea must move beyond ineffective minimum standards and implement real change to end this unimaginable suffering. Demand action now.

Video: Amidst the devastating South Korean wildfires that killed many and destroyed homes, junior dogs who escaped a burning dog farm were found by CARE, demonstrating incredible loyalty by staying together despite severe burns and starvation, highlighting the tragic abandonment of countless animals and the urgent need for improved animal welfare.
Amidst the Inferno: Junior Dogs Found and Rescued, Clinging to Each Other.🐾🐾 CARE

✍ Sign the Petition

Call for Action

👉 📧 Email the members of the Cedar Rapids City Council, the Andong City Council, the Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Council, and the South Korean National Assembly.

👉 📬 Mail the letters.

Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell
101 First Street SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
USA

📬 Send a copy of your letter to Andong:

Mayor Kwon Gi-Chang
Andong City Hall
(36691) 115 Toegye-ro, Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do
South Korea

Andong City Council
(36691) 115 Toegye-ro, Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do
South Korea

📬 Andong addresses in Korean:

Mayor Kwon Gi-Chang
권기창시장님
안동시청
(우)36691 경상북도 안동시 퇴계로 115
South Korea

Andong City Council
안동시의회
(우)36691 경상북도 안동시 퇴계로 115
South Korea

📝 Suggested message

URGENT GLOBAL OUTCRY: END CRUEL LIFELONG TETHERING AND THE HORRIFIC, REPEATED DEATHS OF DOGS IN YOUR SISTER CITY, ANDONG, DURING WILDFIRES

Dear Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell and Esteemed Representatives of Cedar Rapids,

I am writing with outrage and urgency regarding the unspeakable cruelty of lifelong tethering of dogs in your Sister City, Andong, South Korea, and its catastrophic consequences during wildfires. We value the Sister City relationship and urge your immediate, principled action on this international animal welfare crisis.

The barbaric practice of lifelong tethering—often on chains shorter than 3 feet, causing chronic neglect and suffering—renders countless sentient beings defenseless during natural disasters. Tragically, repeated wildfires in South Korea have led to horrific, preventable deaths of tethered dogs who are unable to escape. This reflects a deeply disturbing lack of compassion within segments of the Korean community toward these loyal animals’ agonizing plight.

In Andong, a dog farmer/butcher fled as a wildfire raged, leaving 700 dogs trapped in raised wire cages to burn alive—a gruesome death that starkly exposes the deep-rooted and long-standing indifference of Korean society and its authorities toward the suffering of dogs. The fact that these animals were bred for meat and lived their entire lives in unimaginable misery makes this tragedy all the more devastating.

Witness this brutal reality (Warning: Disturbing images of animal suffering in the following videos):

These loyal creatures are deliberately left chained during evacuations and condemned to burn alive. This recurring horror, fueled by inadequate laws, insufficient emergency preparedness, and a shocking disregard for their suffering, demands immediate and forceful international condemnation.

As leaders of a Sister City to Andong, you have a powerful platform for ethical advocacy. We implore you to recognize the moral imperative of ending this cruelty and preventing further animal suffering. Decisive action on the international level is crucial.

Therefore, we urgently request that you:

1. STRONGLY CONDEMN lifelong tethering and the repeated, devastating immolation of dogs in your Sister City due to wildfires, directly addressing the lack of compassion that allows this to persist.

2. IMMEDIATELY REACH OUT to your counterparts in Andong to express profound global outrage and condemnation for this ongoing cruelty. Emphasize that the continued failure to ban tethering and protect animals during wildfires risks South Korea’s international reputation, highlighting a disturbing absence of empathy.

3. STRONGLY URGE the leadership of Andong to take swift, decisive action by engaging with the national government to implement CRITICAL animal protection measures:

IMMEDIATE AND STRICTLY ENFORCED BAN on lifelong tethering.
IMMEDIATE ADOPTION AND ENFORCEMENT of mandatory evacuation protocols, ensuring the inclusion of all companion animals.
SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT in public awareness campaigns to promote responsible pet guardianship and the importance of untethering animals during emergencies.
SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED PENALTIES for neglect and abandonment, particularly during disasters, to send a clear message that such disregard for animals negatively impacts South Korea’s global reputation.

4. OFFER YOUR CITY’S EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES in establishing robust animal welfare standards (including a tethering ban) and comprehensive emergency preparedness to assist Andong in preventing these recurring tragedies.

The ongoing cruelty of lifelong tethering and the repeated, horrific deaths of countless dogs in South Korean wildfires are an unconscionable stain born from a shocking absence of empathy. As a Sister City, you hold a profound moral obligation to utilize your international relationship to passionately champion these sentient beings’ fundamental right to live free from chains and the terror of a cruel death. We request decisive and immediate action on the global stage to end this tragic cycle. An online petition urging your support to stop these horrors in Andong is in progress: https://chng.it/YPVpGb7Pg4. We implore you to give this critical matter your urgent and unwavering attention, demonstrating your commitment to animal welfare within your sphere of influence and beyond.

Sincerely,

[Your name, city, country]

👉 Post on X and Bluesky.

A Plea for Compassion: Protect Chained Dogs from Burning Alive in South Korean Wildfires Sister City: Andong & Cedar Rapids #BanDogTetheringKorea #EndDogChainingKorea #AnimalWelfareKorea ✍️https://chng.it/YPVpGb7Pg4✊https://koreandogs.org/a-plea-for-compassion-andong-cedar-rapids/👉🏽Join FB https://www.facebook.com/BanTether/

👉 Join the effort! Click HERE and HERE for more ways you can help.

Video: CARE rescued a dog in South Korea with both eyes severely burned by the fire.

Video: Daan spent three agonizing years tied to a tree, enduring harsh weather, malnutrition, and blindness with no love or shelter, until he was finally rescued—too late to regain his health but given a chance to experience kindness. Despite medical care and a brief time in a safe space, he passed away, leaving behind a heartbreaking reminder of the cruelty animals endure and a plea for compassion toward all sentient beings. To learn more, click 👉 HERE, HERE, HERE.

Categories: Action Alert, Break the Chains, Forest fire, South Korea