Tobaeki, a search-and-rescue dog that touched the hearts of the nation with its "bandage fighting spirit" at the site of the massive earthquake in Turkiye, captivated weekend television viewers by revealing its surprising everyday life after retirement.
According to ratings research company Nielsen Korea on the 14th, the previous day's broadcast of SBS's "TV Animal Farm" recorded a peak viewership rating of 5.1%, driven by Tobaeki's first-ever professional baseball ceremonial first pitch challenge, taking first place in its time slot.
The broadcast depicted the completely transformed post-retirement life of Tobaeki, a veteran rescue dog who raced across 253 rescue scenes for six and a half years. Having become a true family member of Firefighter Kim Chul-hyun, its former field partner, Tobaeki brought cute laughter as a "relaxed, carefree dog" who traded its fierce charisma for clumsiness in front of snacks and the smell of hamburgers, and even made potty mistakes inside the house.
Following this, Tobaeki was given its "254th mission" to raise awareness for retired national service dogs. Entering the baseball stadium wearing a Samsung Lions uniform with the number 119, Tobaeki was welcomed by Koo Ja-wook and Kim Young-woong, and took to the mound after receiving pitching coaching from player Kim Young-woong. When catcher Kang Min-ho received the ball thrown by handler Firefighter Kim Chul-hyun and passed it to Tobaeki, the dog swiftly caught the ball as if waiting for it, successfully completing its first-ever ceremonial pitch.
Firefighter Kim Chul-hyun left a touching lingering impression by adding, "Only about 20 percent of retired national service dogs are adopted into families," while urging warm interest in adoption and happy golden years for the dedicated dogs.
Reporter Kang Sun-ae
(Photo: SBS Entertainment News, Reporter Kang Sun-ae)
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