[Stray Dogs in Crisis] ① Stray Dog '0914-309's Last 27 Days... Euthanized After Waiting

Stray Dog Found in Pocheon
From Shelter Admission to Euthanasia

On the 11th, in a small yard in front of a building belonging to the Korea Animal Rescue Management Association located in Yangju City, Gyeonggi Province, 10 dogs are running around. Although the space is narrow and enclosed by brown iron bars, it does not matter to the dogs. Each dog, with different appearances, sniffs each other and playfully bites while playing. They actively run around and mark their territory by urinating on the green pillars. These are cute dogs that like people and have good social skills. One white dog was notably sitting still in the middle of the yard. This dog's name is '0914-309', a number. Not only 0914-309 but all 10 dogs playing around have names that are numbers like prisoner IDs. They are scheduled to be euthanized that day.

On the 5th, 0914-309 barked nervously every time it saw a person, possibly because it had been confined in a small iron cage for three weeks.
Photo by Gong Byung-seon mydillon@

September 15, 0914-309 Arrived Without a Tag

0914-309 was found on the 14th of last month in a village located in Soheul-eup, Pocheon City, Gyeonggi Province, and brought to the Korea Animal Rescue Management Association. Judging by the blue collar, it is presumed that it was not a simple stray dog but a pet dog that had an owner. The Korea Animal Rescue Management Association is a shelter entrusted by local governments in the metropolitan area and protects about 400 dogs.

0914-309 was not immediately placed in a kennel but stayed in a so-called 'newcomer room' for about a day to observe whether it had any infectious diseases. After spending one night in the newcomer room, 0914-309 was brought before a veterinarian. The vet skillfully lifted 0914-309, who was trembling, and examined its health, age, and breed, then used a device to check for a tag, but there was no response. This means it was not a registered pet dog.

In South Korea, the 'Animal Registration System' has been implemented since 2014. According to the '2022 Pet Animal Survey' announced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) in August, a total of 3,025,859 pet dogs have been cumulatively registered over nine years since the system was implemented. However, the number of registrations is decreasing. Last year, 290,958 new pet dogs were registered, a 41.8% decrease compared to the previous year.

0914-309 is undergoing an examination by a veterinarian. The owner could not be found as there was no identification tag.
Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

Even just having an implanted tag can help find the owner easily. Lim Seong-gyu, director of the Korea Animal Rescue Management Association, said, "Most dogs with tags can have their owners found because the tag contains the owner's information," adding, "For that, an implanted tag that cannot be lost must be inserted. I have never seen a dog come in with an external tag attached to the collar." However, owners tend to prefer external tags over implanted ones due to concerns about infection and side effects. Among animal registration methods, the proportion of implanted tags was below half at 46% in both 2021 and 2022.

After the veterinarian examined all the details of 0914-309, the staff of the Korea Animal Rescue Management Association posted the information on their website. 0914-309 is 5 years old, a mixed breed, and female. The number 0914 represents the date, 3 indicates the region Pocheon, and 9 is the sequence. After completing all procedures, 0914-309 was placed in kennel A13. Now, it must stay in the cage until the owner is found or someone wants to adopt it. 0914-309 did not come alone. Another dog, 0914-314, also entered kennel A13. It is also a white mixed breed. Along with 0914-309 and 0914-314, a total of 33 dogs were found abandoned and brought to the Korea Animal Rescue Management Association that day. None of these dogs had tags.

Abandonment notice for 0914-309 posted on the Korea Animal Rescue Management Association. / Capture by Korea Animal Rescue Management Association

September 23, Owner Does Not Appear Even After a Week

The furry 0914-309 is staring into the right void. On this day, 0914-309 will be euthanized.
/Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

"Woof! Woof!" A week later, 0914-309 in the kennel started barking fiercely whenever it saw people. Perhaps because of this, the abandonment notice described it as "timid, defensive biting." However, it does not bark at everyone. It does not bark at Mr. Choi (72, male), an employee who feeds it daily. Mr. Choi is not worried about 0914-309's biting and pours food. He said, "Dogs must know that we feed them every day and keep the kennel clean."

The Korea Animal Rescue Management Association is located in a corner of Yangju City, but on weekends, the number of visitors is more than four times that of weekdays. People come to look for their lost pets. The association does not have much time to wait for 0914-309's owner to come. Ownership of a pet dog passes from the owner to the local government if the dog has been protected at the shelter for more than 10 days. Once ownership transfers, the shelter can decide whether to announce adoption or proceed with euthanasia. The unknown owner’s ownership of 0914-309 lasts until September 24, making that weekend the last chance for 0914-309 to be reunited with its owner.

At 1 p.m., three people entered simultaneously. One came to adopt a stray dog, and two, a father and son, came to look for a lost dog. After about 10 minutes, a brown poodle was brought out in the hands of a Korea Animal Rescue Management Association staff member. It was not 0914-309. Among the 33 dogs rescued by the association, nine had been reclaimed by their owners. 0914-309's owner did not appear.

October 5, Announcement of the Euthanasia List

From September 28 to October 3, during the long Chuseok holiday, ownership of 0914-309 transferred to the local government, making it an adoptable pet dog. However, no one came looking for 0914-309. The older the dog, the larger its size, and the less purebred it is, the lower the chance of adoption. Although 0914-309 is a small dog, its older age and mixed breed status reduced its adoption prospects.

On the 5th of this month, the staff of the Korea Animal Rescue Management Association were busy from the morning. It was the day for euthanasia. The association conducts euthanasia twice a week. The staff checked the list prepared the day before. The list included 42 dogs that had stayed in kennels for about a month. Since 0914-309 had been in the kennel for 20 days, it could be on the euthanasia list. At the tense moment, 0914-309 was not on the list. Because euthanasia was not conducted during the holiday, some dogs had their euthanasia delayed for nearly a month. 0914-309 gained about a week more time.

In a corner of the Korea Animal Rescue Association, candles were lit to comfort the euthanized animals. On the candles, the inscription reads, "We are sorry for not being able to find them a new life and ashamed to be humans like the owners who abandoned them, but for their peace, we could not avoid this." / Photo by Gong Byeongseon mydillon@

Although it was the day euthanasia was performed, the atmosphere in the Korea Animal Rescue Management Association office was not particularly heavy. However, everyone was just hiding their difficult emotions. The staff were always weighed down by guilt. Director Lim has been involved in related work for over 10 years but has never helped with euthanasia or even witnessed it. He deliberately stays as far away as possible from the 'euthanasia room.' Mr. Choi, an employee, said, "The space is limited, and abandoned dogs keep coming, so it can't be helped, but the feeling of pity is the strongest," adding, "My resentment towards people who abandon dogs has also grown."

Euthanasia is not performed immediately. The dogs run and play for about two hours in the yard in front of the 'euthanasia room' before facing euthanasia. The staff find dogs whose collars have broken and put colored bands on them to mark them, preventing mistakenly euthanizing the wrong dog by misreading the list. On that day, 42 dogs played for two hours before meeting their death.

Ten dogs are playing in a small yard for their last two hours before euthanasia. 0914-309 stood in the middle of the yard, staring into the air.
Photo by Gong Byungseon mydillon@

October 11, 0914-309's Last Day

On the 11th of this month, the day for euthanasia came again. 0914-309 had gained nearly a week but still no one inquired about adoption. Twenty dogs were on the euthanasia list. This time, it could not be avoided. '0914-309' was on the list.

0914-314, who came in together, was not on the list. This was because the Mapo Seoul Animal Welfare Center expressed willingness to take 0914-314. Animal adoption centers in Seoul, including the Mapo Seoul Animal Welfare Center, take in dogs facing euthanasia and care for them until they are adopted. However, due to space and cost limitations, they cannot take all dogs. 0914-314 was lucky to be chosen and avoided euthanasia.

At 11 a.m., 0914-309 was moved to the yard in front of the euthanasia room. After 27 days in kennel A13, it was able to run freely outside. The dogs stopped running when people passed by and wagged their tails. At 1 p.m., two hours later, euthanasia began. 0914-309 was the first. The staff led 0914-309 into the euthanasia room. 0914-309 whimpered as it was dragged in. After a staff member held 0914-309's two front legs, the veterinarian tied a tourniquet on the right front leg and began injecting a ketamine-based anesthetic.

"It's okay, it's okay." When 0914-309 trembled at the sight of the needle, the staff comforted it in a calm voice and petted its head. About two minutes later, 0914-309 was anesthetized and did not move. The staff held 0914-309's left front leg. The veterinarian injected T-61, a drug used for animal euthanasia. From then on, 0914-309 was quietly placed on a table, held by no one. The veterinarian bowed their head, clasped their hands in prayer, and waited for 0914-309's final moments.

Leashes of euthanized dogs piled up in a trash bin.
Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

Two minutes after injecting T-61, the veterinarian checked 0914-309's heartbeat. "You can move it now." Upon hearing this, the staff lifted 0914-309. 0914-309 was limp and powerless as it was moved to another table. The staff removed the collar and discarded it, then took photos of 0914-309 as part of administrative procedures confirming euthanasia. 0914-309 was moved to a freezer. When the freezer is full, a specialized incineration company comes. After incineration, the abandoned pet dog meets its final end.

With 0914-309 euthanized, a vacancy appeared in kennel A13. However, it does not take long to fill. The staff continuously respond to reports and bring in abandoned dogs with unknown owners. While euthanasia proceeds on the other side, the 400 unregistered abandoned dogs and the newcomers in the newcomer room keep barking.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.