'Santa dogs' help rebuild burnt forests in Andong

Minky, wearing a black bag filled with mountain herb seeds, stands in front of a burnt pine tree in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, June 17. She is one of the 50 dogs that spread seeds to help reforest the mountains that were burnt in the April 2020 forest fires. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

By Lee Hae-rin

ANDONG, North Gyeongsang Province ― For Kim Dong-seob, an Andong native who has lived all his life in the small mountainous village of Mureun-ri, the nightmare of the giant forest fire two years ago feels like yesterday.

"It was pure horror," Kim, who is head of the village, told The Korea Times Friday, pointing at the devastated region. "More than dozens of these mountains were under scorching fire and the entire city was covered with smoke and ash."

The forest fire swept away not only 1,900 hectares of the mountains that generously gave the villagers firewood and medicinal herbs, but also burnt down the homes and livelihoods of these agricultural communities.

The fire continued for three days until it was finally brought under control. When 50 villagers from Kim's town returned from a shelter in the community center that was housing 2,000 evacuated residents, they discovered that the region had not been designated as a disaster area, thus they were not subject to any government subsidies, Kim said.

Two years have passed, and the mountains still remain bald and barren.

Amid frustration, the locals were able to find some comfort recently due to helping hands ― and paws ― from all across the country. Pet owners brought their dogs to help the Andong residents. Upon arrival, each dog owner was given a small bag that would be tied around their companion animal's neck. Inside the bag were seeds and a small amount of soil, so wherever the dogs run around in the burnt forest they would spread those seeds.

The domestic animal advocacy group Action for Homeless Animals (AHA) gathered pet parents and their companion animals from across the country to volunteer to help rebuild the devastated area.

The project is titled "Santa Dog," which in Korean sounds similar to "mountain-climbing dog."

In this picture taken by a drone, activists from the local animal advocacy group Action for Homeless Animals (AHA) with volunteers and their dogs are spotted on the top of a mountain in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, June 17. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

AHA's leader Hwang Sung-jin said the group was inspired by a 2017 project in Chile, where the Torres sisters and their three border collies gained international recognition for voluntarily planting seeds in areas scorched by wildfire using dog backpacks.

Followed by a series of giant forest fires in the eastern mountainous parts of the peninsula over the past few years, AHA first held a trial event similar to that of Chile in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, in May. Hwang and his colleagues were surprised to find how quickly the campaign went viral on social media and how warmly the locals welcomed their visit.

"Hundreds of pet parents were enthusiastic to reach out and give help. The applications had to be closed after just 12 minutes," Hwang said. In Gangneung, 40 early applicants and their trained pet dogs ran playfully across the burnt region with small bags full of seeds on their back, releasing native plant seeds on faraway fields and steep hills that are difficult for humans to reach.

So Hwang planned a series of successive events, next time coming to Andong.

On Friday morning, canine volunteers of various sizes, breeds and backgrounds from all across the country gathered in the small town.

Dogs of different breeds and sizes gather on a mountain in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, June 17, to spread seeds on steep hills and faraway fields that are difficult for people to reach. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Many, though not all, of these dogs were adopted from rescue shelters. But their owners all share the common goal of not only bringing life back to the broken town and the damaged ecosystem but also to improving public awareness of companion animals.

Lee Seung-mi, 24, who came from Daegu with her dog Bao, said she and Bao have experienced prejudice and aggression in her neighborhood over his appearance.

"Bao is such a sweet and gentle friend, with a warm heart," Lee said, rubbing Bao's head. "But because he is black-haired and has a big body, people often find him scary. Some people even say it to Bao's face, that 'the dog is so big and black that it scares me.'"

Lee Soo-yeon, 48, said she started caring about animal welfare only after adopting her dog from a rescue shelter.

"Ever since I started living with my dog Yang-soon, I feel as if the story of any abandoned or abused animal was my own business," Lee said, hoping for more such events where dogs and people can contribute to the community while having a good time together. She and her furry friend left Seoul at 5:30 a.m. to get to the event on time, but still said she would highly recommend for others to join the campaign.

Dogs wearing bags of seeds run across the steep hills in a mountain area damaged by the April 2020 forest fires in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, June 17. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

The participants expressed unanimous regrets on how the media focuses on dog bite attacks and fosters negative images of certain breeds or sizes of animals. They also agreed that pet owners should be well-educated and responsible for their animals' behavior, but the animals shouldn't be judged or held accountable for their owners' wrongdoings.

The latest statistics by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs show that over 15 million, or one out of four Koreans, live with companion animals as of 2021. However, the general understanding of animals seems to fall far behind their growing presence, they said.

On Friday and Saturday, a total of 50 dogs crisscrossed the burnt tree stumps in the hills and fields of Andong. Some played fetch with their owners, while others explored the barren forest, sniffing trees and soil in excitement, spreading seeds from the seed bags they were carrying.

Deodeok and doraji seeds, varieties of native mountain herbs, fall from the bags attached to a participating dog's leash, June 17. The seeds will sprout and become harvestable in three to four years to supplement the villagers' income. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

The seeds they sowed were "deodeok," and "doraji," mountain herbs with roots known to have restorative properties. AHA and villagers chose the seeds together after consultation with an ecologist. Although it may not be enough to restore the forest, they will supplement aging villagers' income when they sprout and become ready to harvest in a few years.

"We are so grateful they came from far away to this tiny town," Kim said. "I mean, who would come this far, spending their own money and time? We are so thankful."

The event was also joined by Andong-based pet startup companies, a community service center and a team of professors and students majoring in companion animal studies at Catholic Sangji College in the city. They sympathized with the event's aims as well.

Hwang said the organization's ultimate goal is to make the world a better place for animals, where people no longer abandon or abuse them. For that, he believes in helping others more in need and spreading the message of joy.

Guny's owner holds up a certificate issued by AHA after the dog accomplished his mission to spread seeds across burnt forestland in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province. All 25 dogs that participated in the voluntary work received a certificate of participation bearing their face and name. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

"This is just the beginning, the first of many coming steps," Hwang said. AHA plans to host more hiking events and to lead campaigns with rescue shelters and local governments and communities to rebuild forests together with man's best friend.

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