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| A cat eats food provided by activists from the Korean Animal Welfare Association in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Tuesday, in an area damaged by a massive forest fire the previous day. Courtesy of Korean Animal Welfare Association |
Improved evacuation, shelter measures give animals better chances in disasters
By Lee Hae-rin
Improved animal evacuation and sheltering measures helped save the lives of companion animals during a giant wildfire that swept through Gangneung, Gangwon Province, on Monday, an animal rights group said, Friday.
The Korean Animal Welfare Association (KAWA), a domestic animal rights group, conducted eight hours of field search and rescue operations in the eastern coastal city, Tuesday and told The Korea Times that harm to animals in the area was minimized.
The fire, which broke out on Monday morning, destroyed about 379 hectares of mountainous land, damaging 40 homes, 28 pension resorts and three hotels, displacing over 1,000 people. The fire was extinguished in the evening, eight hours after the blaze began.
"We talked to several local residents to understand the scale of damage and locate the animals in need of help," KAWA activist Choi Min-jung, who participated in Wednesday's rescue, told The Korea Times, Friday.
"We were told that firefighters cut the leashes of dogs tied to their homes in order to allow them to escape while extinguishing the fire," Choi said, adding that her team has observed cut leashes in the area.
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| A red leash, which had been used to tie up a dog in an area damaged by a giant forest fire in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, has been cut in this provided photo taken on April 12. Local residents said that firefighters cut leashes to let animals escape during the fire. Courtesy of Korean Animal Welfare Association |
Amid the mounds of ashes, companion animals, including cats and dogs wearing identification tags, were found wandering in the vicinity of their burned homes, fortunately without any major injuries.
KAWA reported that three dogs were found dead ― one hit by a car after being cut free and two that were burned to death while still leashed ― while some farm animals, including goats and dozens of caged chickens, were found dead.
A total of 10 companion animals, including nine pet dogs and a cat, were moved to a city-run animal shelter after the rescue operation and most of them have since been reunited with their owners, the group said.
According to Choi, the city's emergency shelter was also operated in a more animal-friendly way compared to previous disasters. Some companion animals were allowed to stay with their displaced owners, raising awareness among townspeople of the need for emergency shelters that can take in animals.
When the revised Animal Protection Act takes effect on April 27, companion animals will be able to stay with their owners in emergency shelters legally, the activist added.
The measures come amid growing calls for animal evacuation and sheltering guidelines, after over 100 domestic and farm animals were left behind and found dead during giant wildfires in Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province, in March last year. As Korea has been seeing a growing number of disasters, such as wildfires and floods, animal welfare advocates have been voicing the need for improved government preparations for animal protection during such emergencies.
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| A dog found is given food and fresh water by activists from the Korean Animal Welfare Association in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Tuesday, the day after the area was struck by a wildfire. Courtesy of Korean Animal Welfare Association |
"Even if we have such laws, we still need to raise people's awareness on animal protection in disaster situations," Choi said, underlining the need for evacuation education for domestic and farm animal owners.
In the U.S., the PETS Act was passed in 2006 in response to criticism of the failure to protect animals during Hurricane Katrina. The legislation led to the building of animal-friendly shelters in areas affected by hurricanes, and state governments included animals in their emergency plans to receive a subsidy from the federal government.
Japan also established domesticated animal rescue guidelines for disasters in 2013 and encouraged people to seek refuge with their animals. The country's previous evacuation experiences led to a consensus that animals left behind during evacuations could eventually inflict greater social costs, as they may become wild.
KAWA plans to work on establishing a comprehensive manual for animal evacuation and sheltering while seeking solutions to rescue farm animals during disasters.
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