dog chained to a board in the woods

[2mtr]

I came out of my rural elementary school last night and heard a dog howling for help. turns out he was chained to a board in the woods. actually, he could have been simply been running around with a chain on his neck and then gotten caught on the nails sticking out of the board. either way, he was none too happy and very scared and lost-looking. i took him home for the night because he didn't have anywhere else to go, but i'm not sure i shall keep him, for various reasons (chief of them being my september departure).

so, the question is: what now?

i have decided to do these things:

put up "found" fliers in the area (because he had a chain on his collar and is very well behaved in my apartment.)

take care of him for the time being (feed him, bathe him, house him and that sort of thing)

but i am not sure about taking him to a vet. should i do this if it is a short term deal. also, since i probably won't keep him, what's the next step? i don't want him to die (that's what happens to strays, right?), but i can't think of any alternatives. i suppose i'll keep him if it means saving his life. but, as i said before, i don't think i'll be in korea after september.

any help would be appreciated.

[annie]

First of all, congrats for helping this poor doggy.
The next step would probably be the vet just for basic stuff (as fleas or heartworms). I understand you don't want to invest too much money for a dog you won't keep, but you don't want him suffering either (or your house having fleas..).

Then, I suggest you take a picture and post it on this forum in the "adoptable section". If you bring it to the pound, the pets there only have 10 days before being put down...

I hope it helps a little. Thanks again for helping!

[2mtr]

can you suggest a good (read: cheap and english speaking) vet? i live in yangju, but i'm willing to travel.

[Karen]

Hi 2mtr,

It would take some shopping around to find an English speaking vet, and prices will always range a little bit, but I would suggest finding a vet clinic that doesn't sell animals (ie, is not involved with breeders). Can a teacher at your school recommend one? Sorry, I lived in Daejeon so I don't know any to recommend outside of there...

Some basic medical terms like "rabies" sound the same in Korean, and most of the vets I found knew at least basic English, so going into a random clinic is worth a try, too. Alternatively, maybe a Korean co-worker can accompany you.

I believe the word for "stray dog" in Korean is yu-gi-kyeon, and that word alone should explain why you're there (hopefully). If not, and if no one is with you, maybe you could call a Korean friend or coworker from the clinic and put them on the phone with your vet.

Good luck! And many kudos to you for helping this lost little friend.