Find more ways to help: https://koreandogs.org/a-plea-for-compassion-pohang-pittsburg/

URGENT GLOBAL OUTCRY: END CRUEL LIFELONG TETHERING AND THE HORRIFIC, REPEATED DEATHS OF DOGS IN YOUR SISTER CITY, POHANG, DURING WILDFIRES

Dear Mayor Jelani Killings and Esteemed Representatives of Pittsburg,

I am writing with outrage and urgency regarding the unspeakable cruelty of lifelong tethering of dogs in your Sister City, Pohang, South Korea, and its catastrophic consequences during wildfires. We value the Sister 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):

https://www.youtube.com/@TheFromcare/streams
https://koreandogs.org/700-dogs-burned-alive/
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m0FWFjIfbC8
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7vZE_P_wGho
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sbUi7K9mPTU
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sStj0hH6MyM
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/A8OskdtJvjg
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BfEbt6s79sE
https://youtu.be/MunZMwl6BmQ
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hRocjMfllqM
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hotkDKh8Ii8
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/SJ-bYNdeS6I
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CeTa4VRG6pk
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9Bway6u5sb4
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cDWUTYsVQHQ
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_LjaYeZkrQU
https://koreandogs.org/two-brothers-rescued/
https://koreandogs.org/uljin-fire/
https://koreandogs.org/gangwondo-fire/
https://koreandogs.org/danbi/
https://koreandogs.org/chungju-fire/

These loyal creatures are deliberately left chained during evacuations and condemned to burn 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 a Sister City 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 animal suffering. Decisive action on the international level is crucial.

Therefore, we urgently request that you:

1. STRONGLY CONDEMN lifelong tethering and the repeated, devastating immolation of dogs in your Sister City due to wildfires, directly addressing the lack of compassion that allows this to persist.

2. IMMEDIATELY REACH OUT to your counterparts in Pohang to express profound global outrage and condemnation for this ongoing cruelty. Emphasize that the continued failure to ban tethering and protect animals during wildfires risks South Korea’s international reputation, highlighting a disturbing absence of empathy.

3. STRONGLY URGE the leadership of Pohang to take swift, decisive action by engaging with the national government to implement CRITICAL animal protection measures:

- IMMEDIATE AND STRICTLY ENFORCED BAN on lifelong tethering.
- IMMEDIATE ADOPTION AND ENFORCEMENT of mandatory evacuation protocols, ensuring the inclusion of all companion animals.
- SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT in public awareness campaigns to promote responsible pet guardianship.
- SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED PENALTIES for neglect and abandonment, particularly during disasters, to send a clear message that such disregard for animals negatively impacts South Korea’s global reputation. 

4. OFFER YOUR CITY’S EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES in establishing robust animal welfare standards (including a tethering ban) and comprehensive emergency preparedness to assist Pohang in preventing these recurring tragedies.

The ongoing cruelty of lifelong tethering and the repeated, horrific deaths of countless dogs in South Korean wildfires are an unconscionable stain born from a shocking absence of empathy. As a Sister City, you hold a profound moral obligation to utilize your international relationship to passionately champion these sentient beings’ fundamental right to live free from chains and the terror of a cruel death. We request decisive and immediate action on the global stage to end this tragic cycle. An online petition urging your support to stop these horrors in Pohang is in progress: https://chng.it/MpDt7nN2d6 We implore you to give this critical matter your urgent and unwavering attention, demonstrating your commitment to animal welfare within your sphere of influence and beyond.

Photo: Heartlessly abandoned by their owners, one dog was burned alive, tethered and helpless, while another one suffered severe burns witnessing the horrific death. https://koreandogs.org/danbi/

Video: The South Korean wildfires of March 2025 killed at least 31, destroyed much property, and resulted in the horrific abandonment and death of numerous caged dogs, underscoring a moral failing and inspiring rescue efforts like CARE's aid to surviving dogs from a torched dog farm. https://koreandogs.org/two-brothers-rescued/ https://koreandogs.org/700-dogs-burned-alive/

Photo: Video: CARE rescued a dog in South Korea with both eyes severely burned by the fire. https://youtu.be/7vZE_P_wGho