[Reporter’s Eye]
Adopt, Don’t Buy
by Son Hee-jeong, Society Editor, shjshj88@mju.ac.kr
It is 10 million of dog lover generation. When you look around, we can easily see that considerable number of people raise the dog. But some dog lover’s undesirable value, there are so many abandoned dogs along the road. Some people bought young and cute dog at first, but as it gets old and sick or loses hair, they abandon the dog like throwing things away. Ironically, however, when we search on the Internet there are many posts that sell and advertise dogs. Not only reservation of popular dog breeds but also instalment and discount are prevailed and it is treated like industrial products. Popular breeds that created a boom for a while are now can be seen easily as abandoned.
There are specific breeds that created a boom for a while. Long-hair chihuahua which appeared the program ‘Three Meals for Three Times,’ and ‘sangkeuni,’ a Pyrenean Mountain Dog, also known as a Great Pyrenees, which appeared the program ‘1 Night 2 Days’ can be examples. People wanted to buy those kinds of dogs and even could not buy them because of the lack of those breeds. At first, they bought it because of the only reason, ‘they are cute,’ but as they were tired of raising dog, threw away dogs. Then what fate abandoned dogs encounter after they are kicked out on the street?
Abandoned dogs are sent to a dog shelter throughout the country. There are 360 of municipal dog shelters. Abandoned dogs in this shelter are waiting for their owner for 10 days, or waiting for new owner. But their real owner does not appear in 10 days, according to the animal protection law, city or province take ownership of the abandoned and it can be handled with humanitarian way. Humanitarian way in this context means euthanasia. Because there are many abandoned animals, but cost for maintenance of shelter is limited. Abandoned animals are increasing year by year and its number is over one hundred thousand. Surprisingly, half of them are abandoned dogs. The number of abandoned dogs that appeared for the past year was about 60,000 and about 20000 of them were euthanized. Considering dogs that dead from illness, half of abandoned dogs are lost their life.
With the situation that abandoned dogs are increasing, ironically, so called ‘dog factory’ is dominating. Dog factory brings dogs and makes them breed deliberately. Dogs in this factory, they stay behind iron bars so sole’s of their feet fester and eat rotten food. Breeding area is based on artificial insemination and inbreeding because consumers prefer small and pretty dogs like a doll. Generable number of one mother dog is 40. Mother dogs constantly bear young like that and as their health worsen, they are dragged to slaughterhouse. New born baby dogs cannot be fed well, because to satisfy consumer’s taste, they have to be small. And this baby dogs that be raised in unsanitary place and are unhealthy, are sold to pet shop or online shop. As consumers of the pet shop increase, the number of baby dog that mother dog have to breed is also increased. The real number of dog factory is about 3000, but the number of legally notified dog factories is only 50. For this, amendment of animal protection law has proposed, but it still remains as a pending problem.
The reasons why people throw away their pets can be economical matter, health problem or lack of responsibility. At first, people would buy dogs because of its cute look but if its appearance changes as they grow unlike from initial imagination, and they throw away dogs. This can be a reason too. We say to people who abandon dogs “Do not raise a dog if you do not afford to raise it.” But most of people who abandoned dogs do not think that ‘i will abandon these dogs’ from the beginning. Of course at first, they could afford to raise a dog or had a reason to raise them. On the contrary, we can say that lack of educational system of being a dog lover is a fundamental reason. Basic knowledge which is required to be with dogs is not enough for them.
To set up Korea’s mature pet culture, education that feel responsible for their pets is necessary. There are few educational institutions that teach how to understand and induce dog’s nature habit. And education of responsibility is also needed. Yet, in Korea, there are many people that call themselves an expert, but actually they did not learn manual well. So to set a mature pet culture, establishing educational system that teaches all about the dog for pre-owners and understanding rather than educating is required first. Also, improvement of recognition that prefers small and pure-blooded dog is required to prevent unethical fact like dog factory. Because dog factory starts with the wrong criteria of consumers. It is axiomatic that if we do not buy dogs from dog factory, we can stop it. To prevent prevalence and spread of dog factory, cracking down on undeclared dog factory is required and system for administering them should be expanded. And inspection of dog shelter’s sanitary condition is needed too. If the shelter operates well, it can reduce bias about abandoned dogs and also leads to effort of adoption expansion culture. Eventually, awakening towards fundamental problems is needed for human’s friend dogs.
There is a no perfect person and of course, there is a no perfect dog. Dog which suits only for yourself and behaves as you want, is same as a robot. Dogs are not products which depend on consumer’s taste but cherishable life. An also, they are not means of business or things that can be thrown away. Acknowledging dogs as real family, and being qualified as responsible owner are important attitude to become a dog lover. Let’s adopt, do not buy. Dogs are family of human.