YOO Haeun
Environment&Nature Personal&POV Animal rights
A new family member has come. The family has neither named the new member, nor decided what to do with it. The parents found a poodle scavenging in a dumpster near a nursing home and as they pulled over, the dog came up to them. They brought the nameless dog to a veterinary hospital, but couldn¡¯t figure out where the dog was from as it wasn¡¯t microchipped. While the kids want to keep the dog, the parents say that it¡¯s already overwhelming to take care of the three dogs they have already in the backyard, and that they should find an owner who can look after the nameless dog. Discussions about the dog bring back memories of numerous companion animals that have been through my home.
People abandon their companion animals for many different reasons: when they cannot afford veterinary bills for their sick pets, or when they adopted animals because they looked cute then but not when they get older and sick. South Korea, in particular, is known to be an Asian country with one of the worst pet cultures due to abandonment and dog meat consumption.
My family has started to actually experience those problems as we moved to Ganghwa. Our house has become a stop for stray dogs and cats, and we have tried to be a guide helping them to have better lives. This film shares our experiences and we hope this film can give audiences a moment to ask themselves about better lives for companion animals.
YOO Haeun