15 ways to help a chained dog

[Contributor]

NOTE FROM ADMIN - This article has moved to:
http://www.animalrescuekorea.org/articles/15-ways-to-help-a-chained-dog

[The Bobster]

The first thing to to help a dog that is chained up is :

"Decide you must."

Neglect is always evil, but some dogs are chained intentionally: they are there to scare away intruders, and yes, it's evil, but some are intentionally abused in order to make them mean and fearsome and dangerous.

Yes, dangerous. No matter how much we love them, they are sometimes capable of inflicting serious harm. So, we need to be careful. That's Number One.

Contributor, you've done a fine thing by providing these links and offering the advice you have, but we need to remember : SAFETY FIRST, because if this dog puts you in a hospital for a few weeks, then there are other dogs you won't be able to help while you are recovering.

**NOT trying to be a spoilsport with this advice, just trying to help. Had a good friend who still wears scars given to her by a dog that was likely abused and made into a creature that likes blood. I mean it. You need to be careful.**

[Karen]

Hi there, Bobster!

Thank you for the additional warning. To add an anecdote of my own, even when I was building a "friendship" with one dog who had started to like me when I brought treats, I stepped too close one day and he snapped at me. He didn't bite me, but it was close. It really put some fear into me. I overestimated my ability to help.

Also, another organization, Mothers Against Dog Chaining, keeps a list of kids attacked (sometimes fatally) by chained dogs: see http://www.mothersagainstdogchaining.org/attacks.html

I don't think you're being a spoilsport, it's very good advice to keep one's own safety in mind first and foremost.

It's also good to keep in mind that not every single animal is capable of being helped, as sad as that is.

[Sam and Susan in Onam]

There are some pretty nasty dog farms in Onam. When I walked my dog yesterday we saw yet another set of nasty cages with ratty looking skelaton of dogs along with a cage with two miserable looking bunnies inside.

[luvadog]

There are some pretty nasty dog farms in Onam. When I walked my dog yesterday we saw yet another set of nasty cages with ratty looking skelaton of dogs along with a cage with two miserable looking bunnies inside.

Which was my main argument in my classes against eating dog meat. Logic should tell them it's not healthy, but they insist it is.

I'm amazed at the uproar in Korea over some videos of a slaughterhouse in CA where "downer" cows looked like they had mad cow disease. They didn't. They were simply old, pitiful and abused.

People continue to eat dogs when this nastiness is right in front of their faces. Some insist they are not tortured. I wonder how many cases of leptospirosis, etc. are acquired from eating dogs & cute bunnies and never made public?

[Sam and Susan in Onam]

Today Sam and I visited some caged cats. He ran up to them wagging his tail, the two cats in the cage came to the wire and sniffed Sam's nose. The dog didn't want to leave and he never stopped wagging his tail. He never barked once. I was happy with his behavior. I wanted to take the two cats home and get them out of the filth that they were trapped in.

[luvadog]

Whose cats are they? Maybe outside a restaurant?

Years ago I passed by a cat almost every day who was tied in an alley way. She just sat there cause I think she was there a long time. I would take off the rope and set her free...but she never budged. I said "GO." and she sat. Day after day. Until one day she just disappeared.:(

[Sam and Susan in Onam]

I saw a kitten in Insadong tied up on a little string, after a few weeks they chopped his tiny tail off. I was sickened by that.
These cats in Onam are on the yard of a kindie school. I think they are school pets. But they live in horrible cages with no blanket or shelter from the cold.

[luvadog]

Could you try to meet the owners of the school and maybe take a couple blankets and a cat box? Maybe they don't know how to take care of them.

This looks like a good chance to do something positive.

[Sam and Susan in Onam]

Yes, I thought of that and I will try to communicate that to them in a nice way. I was in Seoul yesterday to buy some nice wooly socks at the market near to Chungyangni Train station. This is an amazing and fun oriental medicine market where you can see the real down to earth Korea. They also have several dog meat sellers and you can see the dog carcasses laid out for sale. It is crazy how they just saw the dog in half. I saw a whole roasted dog, it looked like an Egyptian mummified animal. At the same butcher store were some cages with some beautiful large golden haired dogs waiting to be turned into someones next meal. The store had a beautiful picture of these lovely golden dogs over its door. The smell of meat was really strong in that place.
I walked away thinking of how many dogs die for food and also thinking how many dogs are euthanized in America every day because they are abandoned. The end is the same for the dog. He doesn't know he is going to be made into soup.
I have lived on a reserve in northern Manitoba where dogs are shot every spring because there are too many and many are just wounded and left to bleed to death and I have lived in Mexico where homeless dogs wander the streets sick and dying and diseased. Animal abuse is not limited to Korea and Koreans are not the worse offenders in the world though we may think that while we are living here and seeing the dogs suffer every day.
If you live in Seoul and don't go to the market and don't see the caged dogs in the countryside you are lucky. It is the stuff that nightmares are made of.

[bmelaugh]

Hi there!

There is a dog in my neighbourhood who is tied up with a rope, and after seeing him and many dogs like him, I decided to write a letter to the owner.

I wrote a generic one-page letter from a "concerned neighbour" and included pictures of dogs with ropes embedded in their skin. : ( My amazing Korean friend translated it for me, and I dropped off the letter including a collar and leash that I bought, in the owner's mailbox.

After a couple of days, I noticed the collar and leash were out of the mailbox, and on the dog! The owner also posted a letter beside his mailbox (which my friend translated for me) which said:

Thank you very much! I will use it! I wish I knew who you were so I could thank you in person. I will never forget your kind heart.

I was worried that the owner would be offended, but people can surprise you!

I have attached the letter in English and in Korean so that other people can use it. It's easy to do and could make a big difference!

[kmwg19]

Hi bmelaugh! That is great! Where is your letter though? I do not see it attached...

[bmelaugh]

Hi!

Here's the Korean translation of the letter I put in the mailbox. I'll post an English one sometime tomorrow.

Please note that this letter mentions a collar that I gave along with the note. So it might not make sense as is without a collar with it. :)

[bmelaugh]

Here is the same letter in English. I hope other people find it useful!


Dear Dog-Owner,

I live in your neighbourhood, and frequently walk by your home while walking my own dog. I am writing to you because I am concerned about the health of your dog.

I noticed that you have tied up your dog with a rope. This can be very dangerous for the dog. The rope can cut into the dog skin and cause painful infection. It can even become stuck in the dog's skin. This is very painful for the dog, and it could result in an expensive operation and antibiotics.

These are pictures of dogs who have been tied up with a rope or chain. It is especially dangerous if you have a puppy who grows bigger and bigger with the rope around it's neck.

Please take the collar I have provided, and use that instead of the rope. The dog will be much more comfortable and it could save you money down the road.

In addition, dogs are social animals. I have noticed that your dog is usually alone. Dogs are like people: they need love and attention. I'm sure you would find it very rewarding to have a relationship with your dog – it will love you unconditionally.

Lastly, I know you must be very busy with work and your family. It is hard to find the time to care for your dog. But if you could find the time to walk your dog even once a day for 20 minutes, I'm sure you would find your dog to be better behaved, happier, and healthier.

Thank you for reading this letter. Because you are a dog-owner, you must appreciate animals, and I hope you will do everything you can to make your dog's life a good one.

Sincerely,

A Concerned Neighbour