Forgotten national treasures, 2011

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Home » Articles » Korea’s Forgotten National Treasures

Korea’s Forgotten National Treasures WRITTEN

BY RED DOG

Posted Dec 2, 2011 in RESCUE, VOLUNTEERING Tags: Daejeon Paws, Korean law, animal shelters, Jindo

5 Comments

Three years ago a struggling dog rescuer in Daejeon was facing eviction and a dedicated group of volunteers pitched in to help. Active outreach and effective social networking saved the “Daejeon 150,” but eight Jindos from the original group are still waiting for real homes. Six are tethered in the shelter owner’s backyard. Will they get a second miracle?

Jindo Island Almost two years ago, I travelled to Jindo Island for free as part of a government-sponsored promotion. The trip was reserved exclusively for foreigners, and the organizers pampered us with cultural events and sightseeing opportunities. We got free air tickets from Seoul to Gwangju, a free bus ride to the island, free tours of an art museum and the home of Joseon-era painter Sochi. We watched traditional performers dance and play music at a local community centre and then they invited us to dance with them. On the way back, the bus passed through Mokpo and stopped at a buffet with an impressive spread—nearly all of it suitable for the two vegans in the group. But the main event was a tour of the famous Jindo dog training centre (also a breeding centre). We watched a very clever reddish dog perform tricks and unfurl banners. We cuddled puppies who looked like furry bear cubs—prized “national treasures” who would eventually have to be identified with microchips and fall under strict export regulations. Korea spares no effort to promote its beloved dog breed, “National Treasure No. 53,” and the Korea Jindo Dog Protection Support Act enshrines the specialness of these dogs in law. If you read through the legislation, though, it’s obvious the intent is to protect bloodlines and not individual animals. The law covers registered, island-born purebreds only: without papers and a microchip, a dog who looks like a Jindo isn’t a Jindo. The law doesn’t mention what should or shouldn’t happen to registered Jindos in the event that they lose their homes. To my disappointment, neither the organizers of the trip nor the trainers at the famous Jindo dog training centre knew of any rescue resources for homeless Jindos or Jindo mixes. My reason for taking the trip was to learn about Jindo dogs, and the people who love them, in the hope that someone on Jindo Island might know of some way to help a group of long-term shelter dogs. The performing Jindo at the centre looked a lot like one of my favourite dogs at the private shelter I visited occasionally on weekends, but the Jindo at the shelter was too nervous to do any tricks. When I met the puppies on Jindo Island I was surprised to discover that a few were already afraid of strangers. One cried when I tried to pick her up. The shy dog at the shelter was a meat market rescue—that’s what her original rescuer, Ms. Jung, told me about a year ago. Today she goes by the name Tanpoong, which means “autumn leaves.” After at least two years in shelters, Tanpoong gradually warmed up to visitors and began going for walks. In November 2010, she left the shelter to go to a new home in Seoul. It wasn’t an easy transition—Tanpoong had probably never been a family pet—but a year later, she’s happy with a family that loves her.


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