By Chyung Eun-ju
When a magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck the southeastern port city of Pohang, more than 1,000 people headed to emergency shelters. However, some people chose to remain outside because their pets were not allowed inside with them.
According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety (MOIS), pets are not allowed inside emergency shelters.
The MOIS National Disaster and Safety Portal advises pet owners to take their pets to relatives’ or friends’ houses or to animal hospitals.
The portal urged owners to take food, water, a leash, medicine and a muzzle when leaving their dogs at another place.
But the portal does not inform owners on specific pet evacuation procedures.
Because Korea is no longer considered safe from earthquakes, pet owners are calling for pet-friendly shelters.
A post asking for an emergency shelter for pets appeared on the Korean presidential office’s homepage.
“I did not want to inconvenience the families in Pohang, so I stayed in my car instead of going to the emergency shelter,” said the post. “I know people come first, but animals are precious as well. I hope there can be a shelter where we can stay with our pets.”
Another person replied that “facilities provided for people are not that great. Let’s first provide places for people properly, then take care of the dogs.”
In the U.S., Congress passed a legislation to use federal funds for pet-friendly emergency shelters after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when 44 percent of people chose to not evacuate because pets were not allowed into evacuation shelters.