[News Today] Animals hit hard by wildfires

[LEAD]
This spring, wildfires have not only taken a toll on people but caused significant harm to animals as well. In Gyeongsangbuk-do Province alone, the hardest-hit region, more than 140-thousand animals including cows and pigs are estimated to have been affected. With the impact reaching beyond animals to people, there is a growing need for stronger disaster preparedness.

[REPORT]
Back in March, a village in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province was hit by a wildfire.

A local resident who evacuated to a nearby campsite and returned to the village to check the conditions discovered a cattle shed belonging to a neighbor.

Cows have suffered burns and inhaled smoke and collapsed.

Jung Gil-ja / Andong resident
We used a tractor to get them out. Three, six, seven and here's a calf.

Another wildfire-ravaged area.

A dog wandering on a road is nearly hit by a car.

A local resident passing by gives the dog food and water and it gulps them down as if it had starved for days.

The owners of these dogs could have been disoriented during the fire or may have left the pets behind on purpose because animals can't be brought into evacuation shelters where people live in communal space.

Shin Soo-hyun / Yeongdeok-gun resident
Owners must have untied the leash so they managed to survive. That's usually the case but for elderly ladies, it's tough just to evacuate themselves.

Some 140-thousand animals were affected by wildfires in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province this year.

At a dog farm in Andong, some 700 dogs that were locked up were burnt to death while the owner fled to take shelter.

With wildfires becoming more frequent and intense, there are growing calls for revised regulations to prevent damage to animals as well as people's economic and emotional damage.

Prof. Kim Young-hwan / Soongsil University
Animals are not objects but living beings. This public perception has risen.
I believe revising disaster evacuation laws to ensure animal safety is needed.

Some measures under review include drafting disaster guidelines to have owners untie leashes during evacuation or offering temporary shelters where animals can be kept during situations like wildfires.

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