A Plea for Compassion: Protect Chained Dogs from Burning Alive in South Korean Wildfires (Friendship City: Pohang & Gwinnett County, Georgia)

posted by KoreanDogs.org team on July 2,2025 in Action Alert, Break the Chains, Forest fire, Uncategorized

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!

Pohang Mayor Lee Kang-Deok

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 Friendship 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.

Photos: Charles, a dog who miraculously escaped a wildfire after being severely burned across his entire body, including inside his mouth, is now receiving intensive care and showing remarkable resilience despite his horrific injuries. Tragically, Charles witnessed his friend, tied next to him, burn to death. https://koreandogs.org/charles/

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 Gwinnett County Commissioners, the Pohang City Council, the Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Council, and the South Korean National Assembly.

👉 📬 Mail the letters.

Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center
75 Langley Drive
Lawrenceville, GA 30046
USA

📬 Send a copy of your letter to Pohang:

Mayor Lee Kang-Deok
Pohang City Hall
(37683) 1 Sicheong-ro Nam-gu Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do
Postal Code 37683
South Korea

Pohang City Council
(37683) 1 Sicheong-ro Nam-gu Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do
South Korea

📬 Pohang addresses in Korean:

Mayor Lee Kang-Deok
이강덕 포항시장님
포항시청
(37683)경상북도 포항시 남구 시청로 1
South Korea

Pohang City Council
포항시의회
(37683) 경상북도 포항시 남구 시청로 1
South Korea

📝 Suggested message

Urgent global outcry: End cruel lifelong tethering and the horrific, repeated deaths of dogs in your Friendship City of Pohang during wildfires.

Dear Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson and Esteemed Representatives of Gwinnett County,

I am writing with outrage and urgency regarding the unspeakable cruelty of lifelong tethering of dogs in your Friendship City, Pohang, South Korea, and its catastrophic consequences during wildfires. We value the Friendship 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 be burned 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 Friendship County to Pohang, you have a powerful platform for ethical advocacy. We implore you to recognize the moral imperative of ending this cruelty and preventing further suffering. Decisive action on the international level is crucial.

Therefore, we respectfully urge you to:

1. STRONGLY CONDEMN the practice of lifelong tethering and the repeated, devastating immolation of dogs in Pohang during wildfires. Publicly denounce the lack of compassion that allows this to persist.

2. IMMEDIATELY REACH OUT to your counterparts in Pohang to express profound global outrage. Emphasize that the continued failure to ban tethering and protect animals during wildfires threatens South Korea’s international reputation.

3. URGE THE LEADERSHIP OF POHANG to enact critical animal protection reforms by working with the national government to:

Implement an immediate and strictly enforced ban on lifelong tethering.
Establish and enforce mandatory evacuation protocols that include all companion animals.
Launch public awareness campaigns promoting responsible pet guardianship.
Introduce stronger penalties for neglect and abandonment, particularly during disasters.

4. OFFER YOUR COUNTY’S EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES to help Pohang develop robust animal welfare standards (including a tethering ban) and comprehensive emergency preparedness measures.

The continued cruelty of lifelong tethering and the repeated, horrific deaths of dogs in South Korean wildfires represent a profound moral failing. As a Friendship County, Gwinnett County has a unique and urgent opportunity—and responsibility—to act. These sentient beings deserve to live free from chains and the terror of preventable, horrific death. We urge you to take decisive and compassionate action on the global stage.

An online petition is underway, urging your support: https://chng.it/dqDwhF8qGC. We implore you to address this issue with the urgency and seriousness it deserves, demonstrating true leadership in the cause of animal welfare.

Sincerely,

[Your name, city, country]

👉 Post on X and Bluesky.

.@Jaemyung_Lee A Plea for Compassion: Protect Chained Dogs from Burning Alive in South Korean Wildfires Friendship City: Pohang & Gwinnett County #BanDogTetheringKorea #EndDogChainingKorea #AnimalWelfareKorea ✍️https://chng.it/dqDwhF8qGC✊https://koreandogs.org/a-plea-for-compassion-Pohang-Gwinnett/👉🏽Join FB https://www.facebook.com/BanTether/

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

Video: Photo: Left chained to farm equipment as a wildfire engulfed her village in South Korea, Bbibbi, a year-old puppy, was found barely alive with severe burns after her owner abandoned her, highlighting a critical lack of empathy and inadequate animal protection laws. 💔 Chained in the Fire, Left to Burn Alive: Bbibbi’s Will to Survive 🐾

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.