We start the Lunar New Year with a very emotional rescue for our team @koreank9rescue.kr in Gwangju, Korea.

Reports to our partners @youumbba that a senior woman and her paralyzed husband kept 53 dogs inside her tiny home living in squalor and trash. Her intentions started well initially, but it turned for the worse when the locals began to abandon their dogs to her. Dogs abused by drunk men, dogs who were someone’s previous pet but no longer wanted, her collection grew out of control, and she barely earned enough money cooking and cleaning to feed them. However, she fought and struggled to keep them alive. As the numbers increased, so did the fight for survival among the dogs. Dogs began killing each other, and our team saw 20 dead dogs scattered throughout her property. We were speechless.

Through tears and delicate negotiations, she agreed to let us take all 53 of her dogs. We have split the dogs up between KK9R and Youumbba, and their body condition needs a lot of help and rehabilitation. But most are friendly.

As for the senior citizen woman and her husband, social services have stepped in, and we are following up to ensure the woman gets the help she needs to recover the best she can. It’s a very tragic and emotionally taxing situation, but it’s over now. With no government help in Korea to solve hoarding situations like this, our groups must step in and help innocent animals and humans with dignity and respect.

Please support these dogs by donating to our fundraiser. There are a lot of vetting costs and treatments, and all of these dogs are adult poodle mixes. It will cost thousands of dollars to heal them. Thank you for your gifts and generosity.

We hope this rescue mission inspires to join the dog rescue movement! ⁠Our adoption radius currently includes select areas within New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., Maryland, and Massachusetts. For full details on our adoption radius and procedures, please check our Adopt page. We’re looking forward to having you join our alumni, foster, or volunteer community!