▲ Abandoned dogs await new families at the Gangdong REBORN Center, an abandoned animal shelter. (Photo: Yonhap News)
As consecutive heat waves overlap with the peak vacation season, cases of pets being abandoned or lost, as well as left unattended outdoors or inside vehicles, are continuing to rise.
According to the National Animal Protection Information System on the 9th, 7,741 abandoned or lost animals, including dogs and cats, were rescued nationwide last month as the intense summer heat began.
Among them, 95.4% remain under protection, while only 3.1% have been returned to their owners.
The number of abandoned and lost animals stood at 5,100 in January and dropped slightly to 4,505 in February, before turning upward in March as the weather began to warm up.
From the 3rd to the 7th of this month, when heat wave warnings were issued nationwide and sweltering weather approaching 40°C (104°F) continued, between 190 and 295 animals were rescued per day, more than doubling the usual daily average rescue scale.
In fact, on the 1st, a woman in her 30s was booked without detention and investigated by police on charges of abandoning her pet dog at a park playground in Seowon-gu, Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province.
The woman reportedly tied the dog to a playground pillar and left a note suggesting it was an "abandoned puppy."
The daytime high in Cheongju at the time reached 36°C (97°F).
Pets generally have a lower body temperature regulation ability than humans, making them vulnerable to heat waves.
Amid this, cases are continuing to surface where pets are left unattended without shade or drinking water, exposing them to the risks of dehydration and heatstroke.
The animal protection group Angel Project recently stated that it rescued 18 pet dogs left unattended in a pet shop lacking proper air conditioning facilities amid scorching heat close to 38°C (100°F), and transferred them to a hospital.
The Angel Project also stated that it visited the scene after receiving a report that a pet dog was left unattended on the rooftop of a building in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, on the 6th, noting that the rooftop floor temperature reached 50 to 60°C (122 to 140°F) at the time with no shade to block the sunlight.
Animal rights group CARE recently rescued a pet dog that was tied up without shade near food waste in the yard of a house in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province.
The pet dog was reportedly found on the brink of starvation and moved to an animal hospital.
The animal rescue group WeAct also dispatched personnel to the scene after receiving a report that a Retriever had been trapped inside a car for four days amid the blazing heat, and rescued the dog.
The group stated that it took over ownership from the owner and transferred the pet dog to a hospital.
Voices from animal shelters caring for abandoned animals note that as rescued animals surge, the burden of protection and management during the summer is growing.
An official from an animal protection group said, "As animals left unattended in pet shops or urgently rescued from the scorching heat increase, the burden of rescue and protection has grown to an unmanageable level," adding, "Animal shelters across the country are also requesting support, stating that they need to expand cooling facilities and electrical equipment as well as pee pads and summer blankets."
Experts suggest that to reduce the problems of pet abandonment and neglect, which particularly increase during the summer, it is necessary to strengthen institutional management and education starting from the pet-raising stage.
Cho Kyung, a professor (and head of the Department of Animal Welfare) at Busan Health University, said, "Cases of abandonment are increasing because people find it difficult to find places to leave their pets during the vacation period or feel burdened by the cost of paid pet care," adding, "There are also frequent cases where people travel leaving only their animals in empty homes, resulting in pets getting lost during that period."
She further emphasized, "It is necessary to regulate the commercial culture of easily buying and selling lives through laws and systems by restricting the breeding, sale, and distribution of pets," and stressed, "We must lay the foundation for a culture of respecting life by actively conducting animal welfare education targeting the public, including elementary, middle, and high school students."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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