portrait of a dog

They have a face

A heart

Spirit

Smile

And name

They live in our homes

We feed them

Eat from out table

Love them

They sleep in our beds

We bathe them

Talk to them

We treat them like people

Play with them

Bring them to parks

We run and let them chase us

We take them on walks to the E-mart

And clean up their poop

They come for drives in our car

Sitting patiently

Or panting with excitement

We care for them

We feel pain when they are hurt

Take them to doctors

Nurse them back to health

And spend Millions of Won to keep them out of pain

We dress them as Superman

Bumblebees and princesses

We brush them

We give them hair cuts

And cut their nails

Then brush them again

We dye their hair pink and yellow and blue

We introduce them to our friends

That sometimes watch them when we are away

We walk them in the rain, snow and sun

We hold them,

Sing to them

Carry them in bags

We teach them how to sit,

Shake paws and get beer from the fridge

We buy them toys

We buy them more toys

And we even buy them more toys

And then we clean up their mess

We feel sad when we have to cage them

And tell them it will be just for a short time

And that we will be right by their side

We try to keep them out of trouble

And away from cars and prickly bushes

We take picture

After picture after picture

And sit them in poses

We dress them up for Halloween

We celebrate their birthdays

And give them hamburgers

And ice cream from McDonald’s

We stop and let people pet them

And blush when they say how cute they are

They eat our books, and bite tables

But we never stay mad for long

They wait for us at the door when we get home

And follow us around the house wagging their tail

We leave music on when we leave the house so they don’t feel lonely

We give them treats when they behave

And time-outs when they don’t

We leave the country for a year to teach in Korea

And when we come back they are still our best friend

We play fight

And play games hiding food around the house

We give them ice cubes on hot days

And listen to them crunch away

We build them houses

And give them pillows to sleep on

We laugh when they act silly

And chase bugs or small animals

We laugh when they bite at flashing lights

And floating bubbles

But why do we do give and give and give; when they give nothing back?

Because they do- they give us the only thing they know how- and that’s Love.

And it kills me inside knowing that these beautiful animals, these animals that are born into this world, so innocent, looking for love and to give love; are being packed in cages stacked on top of one another with no room to breathe; tortured by neglect and hate; beaten with bricks, hammers and fists; disgustingly malnourished, then killed and forgotten; all THIS because it claims to give you STAMINA.

I am a foreigner in this wonderful Korea, this I understand. I have given two years of my life dedicated to respecting culture, traditions, customs, gestures, language, and their history; but there are certain things in everyone’s life that they must stand up towards- no matter the situation. And this is something that disgusts me enough to spread my voice. I have travelled the world from South America through Asia and I have travelled most Korea; from Mokpo to Jeju and Busan to Sokcho and all in between and I have seen dogs loved like family and I have seen them screaming for help.  

I have seen them chained to tight, gripping leashes, no longer than an arm,

And I have seen their run free from leash running wild at play

I have heard their cries for attention, food, water, and out of pain,

And I have heard their songs of excitement and happiness

I have witnessed the desperation in their eyes,

Eyes so pure and innocent

Eyes that want love; that need love

And I have witnessed the warm, kind eyes that look as though they are smiling

I have seen them look neglect in the face and still have a smiling heart

And I have seen them look love in the face and try to lick it

I have seen their tails wagging at a hello and a pat on their head; because they have never been touched with affection

And I have seen their tails wagging at a hello and pat on their head; because that is how they wake every morning

You might ask me “Why dogs? Why not fight for cows, chickens, pigs- all animals?”

For one, I am against all animal cruelty, but dogs have taken up such a part of my life. I grew up with a dog in my home. My dog was actually part of my family before I- So I had just as much right to be there as her. But I grew up as an only child and a dog has been by my side my whole life.  I have witnessed their first snow falls. I was there when they got spayed by a skunk and they had to be washed in tomato juice to get the smell out. I left home for university and Korea and came back home to the same loving dog- not judging or hateful.  I woke up to my dog lying dead on my living-room floor with a smile on her face after being sick for half of her life; and I sat there with her thinking about all the walks we went on; every time she came to one of my baseball games; the nights she kept me warm on my bed; the look in her eyes when she knew I was leaving and didn’t know when I would be back. These aren’t the experiences I have shared with cows, chickens or pigs. I have shared human connection with my dogs, because they have human qualities; they share feelings, they express happiness and sadness, love and anger, they give protection and warmth, they sense when we are upset or in trouble and give everything that they know how- just like a good friend. And that’s what these innocent animals are OUR FRIENDS.

I want to end with a little story my friend told me. When she was young her dog had six puppies, which was too many for them to take care of- so they had some people over looking to raise them. While this was going on a man came and stole the mother. Not only did this kill the babies because lack of nutrition from their mother’s milk- but it killed the family’s heart. It was found out later that the man who stole the dog used the mother to make boshitong. Their family dog was now a soup. She told me this story with tears in her eyes over 20 years later.

All I can say is that please don’t support dog and cat meat. These are our friends. We share our lives with them; you should think of the history of this innocent animal’s life before you support such a cruel trade. Because the next time you decide to eat dog or cat- it might have had a house, a name, and a family. Please have a heart.

Thank you