Poor conditions, dodgy management turn animal shelters into dog death camps

Animals often meet their ends quicker in animal shelters than on the streets. Only nine of 134 dogs at an animal shelter in Sancheong, South Gyeongsang, survived last year, according to a national animal protection database website.

A dog at Sancheong Animal Shelter last month is panting in the hot weather, unable to reach the shade of its doghouse due to a short leash. This dog is not listed on the government-run national animal protection database system website. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Animals often meet their ends quicker in animal shelters than on the streets.

Only nine of 134 dogs at an animal shelter in Sancheong, South Gyeongsang, survived last year, according to a national animal protection database website.

Of these dogs,101 were euthanized, and four died of natural causes.

The remaining 20 dogs met similar fates, though their deaths have yet to be reflected in the database, according to a Sancheong County official in charge of the shelter.

On May 12, the JoongAng Ilbo visited the animal shelter in Sancheong, located three kilometers (1.86 miles) away from its official address.

Dogs at Sancheong Animal Shelter last month are seen outside their doghouses, which are overheated due to the hot weather. They are tightly chained and panting in the heat. [JOONGANG ILBO]

The sound of barking dogs could be heard through the green screens surrounding the shelter.

Through the fence, 11 dogs were seen tightly chained, panting in the hot weather without shade.

Kim Se-hyun, CEO of Beagle Rescue Network, a non-profit organization based in Korea dedicated to rescuing laboratory animals after animal testing, witnessed a similar scene when she visited the shelter two years ago.

She revealed a photo of a dead dog lying in the corner and emphasized that the living dogs were in no better condition, tied to short leashes in a dirty shelter.

A photo taken two years ago by Beagle Rescue Network, a South Korea-based non-profit dedicated to rescuing laboratory animals after testing, shows a dead dog lying in a corner at Sancheong Animal Shelter. [BEAGLE RESCUE NETWORK]

In Korea, stray or abandoned animals are typically taken to nearby animal shelters. They are then housed in cramped cages and given a week to 10 days for owners to reclaim them. After this period, they become available for adoption for 10 to 20 days.

However, once this deadline passes, many are euthanized.

Animal shelters — intended to protect animals — are turning into death camps.

Some 71.5 percent, or 171 out of 239 animal shelters nationwide, are contracted centers, including the Sancheong animal shelter, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Animal protection groups assert that dogs are more likely to die in contracted centers than government-run ones.

The average rate of animals dying due to euthanasia or natural causes in animal shelters nationwide is 43.7 percent. In contrast, outsourced shelters that have been reported to the authorities for their poor management saw a death rate of over 90 percent.

Dogs wait for their turns to be euthanized in an animal shelter in Miryang, South Gyeongsang last month. [BEAGLE RESCUE NETWORK]

The public was outraged when a video was released last month showing a vet euthanizing 37 dogs without anesthesia at an outsourced shelter in Miryang, South Gyeongsang.

Miryang provides the city’s animal shelters with 30,000 won ($21.89) per dog for putting them down. Not using anesthetic drugs can save them 20,000 won for every dog.

“Many shelters euthanize animals without anesthesia, treating them as a way to make money,” CEO Kim said.

An animal center in Goseong, South Gyeongsang, used to euthanize 80 percent of dogs without anesthesia, according to Kim.

In response to criticism, outsourced animal shelters attribute the issues to insufficient funding.

The head of the Sancheong animal shelter, also a vet, stated that the shelter is always full of abandoned dogs and that funds are insufficient to manage the rising number of dogs.

The shelter houses around 20 dogs, far below its capacity of 45.

Regarding the high euthanasia rate, the head of the Sancheong shelter explained that most dogs coming to the center are sick or injured stray dogs abandoned in the mountains.

The Sancheong animal shelter euthanizes dogs every three to four months, killing around 20 to 30 dogs each time, a county official said during a phone call with the Korea JoongAng Daily on May 23.

The shelter already performed two euthanasia sessions this year, the most recent in early May.

The poodle is listed on the government-run national animal protection database website as currently sheltered at Sancheong Animal Shelter. [NATIONAL ANIMAL PROTECTION DATABASE SYSTEM]

Animal protection groups argue that the shelters are not underfunded.

The Sancheong animal shelter receives funding not only for general management but also for animal care — 70,000 won for capturing dogs, 210,000 won (for 15 days) for management, 60,000 won for treatment, 50,000 won for euthanasia fees, 5,000 won for dead body disposal and 30,000 won for grooming.

Park Joo-hyun, director of the Korea Animal Rescue and Welfare Association, has been investigating the Sancheong animal shelter’s issues and has expressed concerns about its conditions and questionable use of funds.

“Workers are often absent, and dogs’ water bowls are covered with green moss. I have doubts about how the subsidy is being used,” Park said.

The shelter has only three workers, including the head, to manage it. A Sancheong County official also confirmed that workers are frequently absent.

Park also criticized the shelter’s lack of efforts in facilitating adoptions.

“The Sancheong shelter uploaded a photo of a mother dog on the national animal protection website, but not her newborn puppies, who have a better chance of being adopted. They fail to provide updates on what happens to these animals,” Park said.

The Korean animal protection website allows people to view cats, dogs and other animals in municipal shelters nationwide.

While the Sancheong County official is responsible for uploading photos and information about the administered dogs on the website, a lack of effort and frequent absence of shelter workers lead to delayed updates.

Without exposure on the website, sheltered dogs have almost no chance of finding homes.

Newborn puppies are still not uploaded on the website, and the poodle listed as being in the Sancheong shelter was dead as of Saturday.

Animal protection groups argue for stricter measures on shelters, such as having shelters managed by the government, to reduce the number of euthanized dogs.

Kim, head of the Beagle Rescue Network, suggested ways to improve animal welfare and shelter conditions.

“Even the Goseong animal shelter, previously notorious for its poor management, became an exemplary shelter complying with animal protection laws after switching from outsourced to government-run,” Kim said.

Kim added that for subsidies to be appropriately used, the facilities must be government-run.

Last month, residents of Hanam, Gyeonggi, took action.

They protested to have their city’s animal shelter run by the government, citing issues like the shelter’s lost animals and delayed reporting, which have decreased adoption rates.

In response to multiple complaints, the city of Hanam terminated its outsourcing contract on May 1.

Following the allegations regarding the poor conditions at the Sancheong animal shelter, the county official told the Korea JoongAng Daily last month that the authorities are aware of the situation and are in talks to improve the shelter's condition.

However, they are very hesitant to allow visitors to the shelter.

The center's head has not responded to inquiries about animal adoptions or volunteer work, stating that there was no need.

Outraged members of the public have submitted online civil complaints to the Sancheong county office website. The complaints are accessible for public viewing.

One complaint criticized the shelter's poor conditions and the staff's shoddy management. It also demanded a better environment for the animals and suggested terminating contracts with the currently contracted center, advocating for the shelter to be government-run instead.

The county replied to the complaint, stating that they are considering transitioning the animal shelter to government management.

However, they did not provide any information regarding the feasibility or timeline for that change.

BY JEONG EUN-HYE, WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]