For those of you who #adoptdontshop and are looking for a place to find the newest member of your family – look no further. Free Korean Dogs and Korean K9 Rescue are two sites that are dedicated to saving dogs from South Korea and finding them forever homes in Toronto, New York, Atlanta, Vancouver, Seattle, Los Angeles and Washington D.C. Before getting attached make sure that the dog you are interested in adopting is available in your area.
You can also find rescue Korean dogs on Pet Finder. On most adoption websites you can find descriptions of the dogs personality and temperament. Many sites use a temperament test to test the dogs- but every site is different.
The sites are filled with cross breed dogs, as typically in Korea pure breed dogs from puppy mills are seen as adorable pets while mix breeds “are defined as a dog that could be for eating or basically has no soul and is stupid,” says Boehler, the head of a Korean dog rescue.
Boehler says he tries to take dogs that he sees a chance of making a recovery, even when they appear unsocial and jittery. With the right family, the dogs can recover and grow into happy healthy individuals.
South Korean shelters are full of mutts because of Korea’s stray dog problem. This has created a 5-day kill rule in most shelters. Thanks to other privately run shelters these dogs are given a chance to lead happier lives with families that love them.
The application process can be lengthy and will ask you questions about your home life (fenced vs unfenced yard, proximity to green space, and household residents) and some open ended questions (“Why are you interested in adopting a dog now?” and “What traits are you looking for in a dog?”). Questions like these and about previous dog experiences are important to determine if you (and your family) are suitable for taking care of a dog who might be traumatized or have special needs.
Dogs from Korea are particularly ripe for challenges because they are not from North America so they are not used to their surroundings and English is not the language they are used to. Because of this and their inherent socialization issues it can take a long time for them to adjust to their new life. Because of these special needs you may need to have a credible reference.
Adopting a dog from Korea can save a life, as some dogs are even bred for this specific purpose. The Korea Observer reported that Labradors, retrievers, and cocker spaniels are often bred for consumption and that many of the dogs used for meat are often former pets. BBC claims that over 8000 tons of dog meat is consumed per year.
So remember to #adoptdontshop to give the dogs of Korea a chance at a family!
