End the Cruelty: Ban Isolated and Tethered Guard Dogs in South Korea — Demand Legal Protection Now

Find more ways to help:  https://koreandogs.org/ban-separate-rearing/

A national campaign urges the South Korean government to enact legislation banning the isolated and cruel practice of keeping dogs chained and left alone in remote locations—such as fields, factories, and fish farms—where they endure extreme weather and life-threatening dangers without human care or protection. Despite the previous government’s landmark ban on dog meat, many dogs are still treated as mere tools rather than companions, suffering due to legal loopholes that exclude them from protection. The campaign calls for the law to become the guardian of these voiceless animals, ensuring no dog is left to suffer or die alone in disaster.

Video: In Jeju, a man cruelly left a dog named Nolbit chained alone on a floating fish farm in the sea, claiming she was guarding it. After public outrage and a rescue by CARE and local shelters, Nolbit is now safe, but the owner denies wrongdoing and keeps another neglected dog. This case exposes deliberate cruelty and legal loopholes, prompting calls for justice and stronger animal protection. 😱 Outrage in Jeju: Dog Found Tied on Floating Fish Farm in the Middle of the Ocean 🌊

Video: Despite suffering agonizing burns, Sori was not offered a moment of comfort or medical aid. Instead, her owner, in an act of profound heartlessness, moved her to another orchard and forced her back into the role of a guarding dog, replacing the very rope melted by the flames with a fresh chain around her festering wounds. Despite Her Burns, Sori Was Cruelly Forced to Guard Again, Untreated

PETITION:

Petition to the South Korean Government: Ban Tethering and the Isolated Keeping of Dogs for Guarding Purposes

To: President Lee Jae-Myung and the Government of the Republic of Korea

We urge the South Korean government to take immediate and decisive action to protect dogs across the country by banning the tethering of dogs and the practice of keeping them isolated and alone to guard farms, factories, businesses, or other properties—far from human care and companionship. These practices cause immense suffering and violate dogs’ fundamental rights to safety, freedom, and humane treatment.

Across Korea, countless dogs are tied on short leashes or confined in remote areas—fields, warehouses, factories, fish farms—used solely as tools to guard property. They are left without care, exposed to extreme heat, freezing cold, hunger, and fear—unable to escape disasters like floods or fires. “They guarded what they were told to guard—but couldn’t even protect their own lives.”

This is not mere neglect. It is institutionalized cruelty, sustained by legal loopholes that exclude dogs from protection if they are not classified as companion animals. These dogs are often deprived of proper shelter, veterinary care, and social interaction. Their suffering is ongoing, invisible, and systemic.

While the revised 2023 Animal Protection Act sets basic standards for outdoor dog care—including leash length and hygiene—enforcement remains inconsistent. Even a two-meter chain condemns a sentient being to a life of profound physical hardship and emotional deprivation. Dogs like Saebyeok, found tethered in freezing temperatures, and the many “yard dogs” across rural Korea remind us that current laws fall short of protecting the most vulnerable.

We commend the previous government’s historic step in banning dog meat. Now it is time for the current government to take the next step: ban the cruel and isolated keeping of dogs for guarding purposes—especially in locations far from any human residence or care.

We respectfully call on the South Korean government to:

1. Ban the practice of tethering dogs and keeping them isolated and alone to guard property, regardless of leash length or location.
2. Close legal loopholes that deny protection to dogs not officially classified as companion animals.
3. Rigorously enforce the Animal Protection Act and impose serious penalties when neglect results in harm, illness, or death.
4. Educate the public and dog guardians—especially in rural areas—about responsible and humane care.
5. Raise national awareness of dogs’ emotional and physical needs to foster a culture of compassion.

If people cannot be their guardians, then the law must become their protector.
By ending these harmful practices, South Korea can lead the world in animal welfare—affirming that dogs are not property or tools, but sentient beings worthy of protection, compassion, and dignity. An online petition calling for immediate and decisive action is now underway: https://chng.it/vLZzztvNVb

PETITION IN KOREAN:

대한민국 정부에 드리는 청원서: 개의 분리 사육을 금지하는 법을 제정하고, 개를 묶거나 외딴 곳에 격리하여 경비 목적으로 기르는 행위를 전면 금지해 주십시오

수신: 대한민국 대통령 이재명 귀하 및 대한민국 정부

우리는 대한민국 정부가 전국의 개들을 보호하기 위해 즉각적이고 단호한 조치를 취해 줄 것을 촉구합니다. 개를 묶어두거나 사람의 돌봄 없이 외딴 곳에 격리해 밭, 공장, 사업장 등 재산을 지키는 용도로 방치하는 관행을 금지해 주십시오. 이러한 행위는 개에게 극심한 고통을 안기며, 안전과 자유, 그리고 동물로서 마땅히 누려야 할 기본적인 권리를 침해하는 명백한 학대입니다.

한국 곳곳에는 짧은 줄에 묶인 채 들판, 창고, 공장, 양식장 등 외진 장소에 방치되어 오직 ‘경비 도구’로만 존재하는 개들이 수없이 많습니다. 이들은 보호자 없이 혹서, 혹한, 굶주림, 공포 속에 방치되며, 홍수나 화재와 같은 재난에서도 도망칠 수 없습니다.
“지키라는 것은 지켰지만, 정작 자신의 생명은 지킬 수 없었습니다.”

이는 단순한 방임이 아닙니다. 반려동물로 분류되지 않았다는 이유로 법적 보호에서 배제되는 사각지대를 악용한, 구조적인 학대입니다. 수많은 개들이 안전한 거처, 수의 치료, 사회적 교류 없이 고통 속에 방치된 채 살아가고 있습니다.

2023년 개정된 동물보호법은 야외에서 기르는 개에 대해 최소한의 기준(줄 길이, 위생 등)을 정했지만, 여전히 법 집행이 미흡합니다. 2미터 줄조차도 감정을 지닌 생명에게는 큰 신체적 고통과 정서적 결핍을 초래합니다. 영하의 날씨에 묶여 있던 ‘새벽이’와 전국 곳곳에 방치된 수많은 ‘마당개’들은 현행 법률이 가장 취약한 개체들을 제대로 보호하지 못하고 있음을 보여줍니다.

우리는 전 정부가 개고기 금지를 결정한 역사적 결단을 높이 평가합니다. 이제 현 정부가 그 다음 단계로 나아갈 때입니다. 개를 외딴 곳에 격리해 경비 목적으로 기르는 잔혹한 행위를 법으로 금지해야 하며, 특히 사람이 거주하지 않거나 돌봄이 전혀 이루어지지 않는 장소에서의 방치는 반드시 근절해야 합니다.

이에 우리는 대한민국 정부에 다음과 같이 정중히 요청드립니다:

1. 줄 길이와 장소에 관계없이, 개를 묶거나 외딴 곳에 홀로 두어 재산을 지키게 하는 행위를 전면 금지해 주십시오.
2. 반려동물로 공식 분류되지 않아 보호받지 못하는 개들에 대한 법적 사각지대를 해소해 주십시오.
3. 동물보호법을 철저히 집행하고, 방임으로 인해 동물이 다치거나 병들거나 죽는 경우에는 강력한 처벌을 부과해 주십시오.
4. 특히 농촌 지역 보호자들을 대상으로 책임 있는 돌봄과 인도적 양육에 관한 교육을 강화해 주십시오.
5. 개의 정서적·신체적 요구에 대한 국민 인식을 높이고, 연민과 공감의 문화를 확산해 주십시오.

사람이 개들의 보호자가 될 수 없다면, 법이 그들의 보호자가 되어야 합니다. 이제 이러한 해로운 관행을 종식시키고, 대한민국이 동물복지 분야에서 세계를 선도하는 국가로 나아가야 할 때입니다. 개는 단순한 재산이나 도구가 아니라, 보호와 존중, 존엄을 누려야 할 감정을 가진 생명체임을 선언해야 합니다. 즉각적인 조치를 촉구하는 온라인 청원이 진행 중입니다.  https://chng.it/vLZzztvNVb  

여러분의 깊은 관심과 동참을 진심으로 부탁드립니다. 감사합니다.

Charles, a dog who miraculously escaped a wildfire after being severely burned across his entire body, including inside his mouth, is now receiving intensive care and showing remarkable resilience despite his horrific injuries. Tragically, Charles witnessed his friend, tied next to him, burn to death.  https://koreandogs.org/charles/

The barbaric practice of lifelong tethering, often with chains under three feet, condemns countless animals to chronic suffering and leaves them defenseless during disasters. In South Korea, repeated wildfires have tragically resulted in the horrific, agonizing immolation of tethered dogs, burned alive and unable to escape the flames. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hotkDKh8Ii8

Video: Thirteen dogs, including a white dog named Saebyeok, were found in Gimpo tied or trapped in filthy cages, exposed to freezing weather, rain, and snow. They were left without shelter, food, or medical care—some standing in inches of their own waste. The dogs were likely part of a compensation scheme for dog meat farmers, highlighting the ongoing cruelty and neglect hidden behind remote, unmonitored properties. CARE’s Urgent Rescue: Saving 13 Dogs and Puppies from Frigid Neglect in Gimpo