Why do teachers get pets in Korea?

Because if and when you leave a boyfriend or girlfriend, it's not the same as abandoning a living thing which is completely dependant upon you. A human being will get by on their own.

Couldn't this post read "Why do teachers get bf/gfs in Korea?"...

What a dumb thing to say when a lot of us have pets here in Korea
I have had my little maltese since she was 45 days old bought here in Korea
When I travel either for school business or on vacation she is put into a
very nice pet hotel and is well looked after
She is good to come home to and there when you need to rant and rave because you have had a bad day
so please leave the irrisponsible people comments at the door
we are not all irrisponsible
and by the way when I leave here she will be comming with me.

I am kind of wondering, when I worked in a middle school the students brought in a cat that was abandoned by it's mother.   The science teacher tried to take care of it with an eye dropper and milk, but eventually the cat died.

At the time, I looked up on the internet about how to take care of an abandoned kitten.  Found out that merely feeding it isn't enough, you also have to keep it warm.  I was tempted to take over and use information I got on the internet to try to save the cat's life.  I decided not to do this because, I didn't know if I could offer the cat a stable home if I "rescued" it.

So, here's a dilemma for you guys.   If I rescued it, and it lived, the cat would be about 3 years old right now.  (I would have had to move it 400 km once because I changed schools though).   I decided not to rescue it, and instead of being 3 years old, the cat is dead.

So, you can label it irresponsible or selfish to take in a cat and then try to give it away in a year.   But what if there isn't a better option for the cat?

The thing is, when people do post a "free cat" posting, it seems they get some responses.  Isn't that better than dropping the cat outside, saying a tearful goodbye and then leaving the country?

my girlfriend and i always stop by the pet section of stores to look at the animals, but luckily she's scared of dogs so i don't think we'll be getting a pet anytime soon~

I'm particullarly disgusted by people who buy their pets in petstores or from breeders.  If you want a pet in Korea, and have plans to keep it for the duration of its natural life, then you should adopt at a shelter.  Buying a bred animal when others so desperately need a home is unbelievably selfish.  It's awful to buy an animal that has been bred for that purpose, to benefit the commercial interests of a proprieter - when other animals so need a good home.

On another note - I am very impressed by the teachers that take in starving, abandoned animals.  As a poster previously mentioned - doing so and then trying to find them a good home after is usually much better than the alternative (suffering and death).  When the teachers then leave and try and find the animal a good home - there is no shame in that.  The teachers are just trying to do whatever good they can.  Kudos.

In reply to elzoog, you pose a good question.

I think it depends on the situation. For example, in your case, if you had rescued the cat and temporarily saved it, what would happen when you leave some day? If you were to give it to someone else, there's no guarantee as to whether that person will keep the cat forever. If they pass it on yet again, there will be no guarantee that they will give it to someone good or perhaps they might just leave it to survive on the streets again.

Is a life bouncing from person to person, possibly only to return to the streets, living in all kinds of weather and die after contracting a disease or being hit by a car really better than death?

Of course I'm not saying all cats or the cat at your school would end up in such misery. But, it is a possibility. When faced with that kind of life, I'd say it's better off dead. At least it's not in pain now. It is with this same reasoning thatsome feral cats, unable to be rehabilitated to life with humans, are euthanized when "rescued" from the streets.

What a dumb thing to say when a lot of us have pets here in Korea
I have had my little maltese since she was 45 days old bought here in Korea
When I travel either for school business or on vacation she is put into a
very nice pet hotel and is well looked after
She is good to come home to and there when you need to rant and rave because you have had a bad day
so please leave the irrisponsible people comments at the door
we are not all irrisponsible
and by the way when I leave here she will be comming with me.

Calm down to a mild panic. I made it clear that this statement didn't apply to people who 1. stay in Korean indefinitely. 2. are taking their pets home with them. I have many friends who have disposed of pets irresponsibly and just want to get a bunny or whatever because 'it's cute and I'm lonely.'

I'm actually having a wonderful day thanks. And it's not a rant. I adore animals and am vehemently pro animal rights is all. You're obviously a very caring and responsible person. Well done. Many people aren't. This post is more for people considering getting an animal who haven't weighed the pros and cons properly. No one is criticizing your pet care, mkay. 

Totally agree with the op  - I love animals, have two dogs back home and it broke my heart to leave them  - not my own dogs but the family's.  I'm pretty sure they were a coping mechanism when me and lil sis left home.

Animals are great but the care has to go both ways  - just because a dog will love you unconditionally does not make it fair to raise it in 50 sqm  and I think it's an unhealthy thing to share such a small space with an animal whatever it's size, unfair thing to do to your neighbors too.

If and when I get a dog again in Korea I'll have the space for it i.e. a house or something.

If you need an animal for company or whatever go work in a shelter, foster them or be prepared to take them with you when you leave.

On another note what flipping good is a pet hedgehog ?It must be THE Dumbest animal to own, can you even hold the thing ?

Plants aren't as cuddly, but they're definitely a lot easier to take care of. Surrounding your apartment with plants can satisfy that want for having a nother living thing in your apartment. And they smell much better too!

What a dumb thing to say when a lot of us have pets here in Korea
I have had my little maltese since she was 45 days old bought here in Korea
When I travel either for school business or on vacation she is put into a
very nice pet hotel and is well looked after
She is good to come home to and there when you need to rant and rave because you have had a bad day
so please leave the irrisponsible people comments at the door
we are not all irrisponsible
and by the way when I leave here she will be comming with me.

Calm down to a mild panic. I made it clear that this statement didn't apply to people who 1. stay in Korean indefinitely. 2. are taking their pets home with them. I have many friends who have disposed of pets irresponsibly and just want to get a bunny or whatever because 'it's cute and I'm lonely.'

Well, if the other alternative for the animal is for someone with a more stable home to take it, then yes I agree with you.   However, quite often, the other alternatives are to dump the animal out in the wild, or to give it to a shelter.   The shelter might have to eventually euthanize the animal if they can't find a good home for it.

If the only other option is death, I don't see it as being terrible if the animal is taken care of for only a few months and then passed on to someone else.

It's unfortunate that some people think that owning a dog, cat, or pet is temporary.  I brought my dog from back home with me and I'm glad I did.  My boyfriend was fostering a dog here and now we're keeping him because we love him.  Yes we are bring both back home with us.  Before I even came here I read quarantine restrictions and so forth.  i wish others would do the same before they adopt.  My boyfriend and I have gone on vacation while we've been over here.  Our vet actually kept our dogs in her home and walked, feed, and bathed them.  It was only a week long vacation, and I'm not going to feel guilty for taking one.  I just want to make a point that there are responsible pet owners here.  I'm sure there are future responsible pet owners here, and horrible pet owners here.  Use common sense.  If you don't have time, money, patience, and an awesome pet sitter connection, don't get a pet.  There are also two sides to every story, so I tend not to judge those who post pet listings.

I recently adopted a puppy from KAPS. I am so happy I did. I am much happier now. She is a lot of responsibility but before I got her, I thought about that. I also found out what I would need to do to take her back with me to the states when I go. When I go on weekend trips she comes with me or I don't go. I have arranged for my Vet to take her while I go on longer vacations. All the staff there love her and I know she will be in good hands while I'm gone. I will also add that owning a pet in Korea is much more expensive than in the states. Everything costs a bit more here. Also, puppies need 5 rounds of shots in Korea and in the states only 3. Also, many animals die in Korea due to a number of reasons. It is always a risk to get an animal, but if you do, you should make sure you are 100% ready for it. When I got my puppy they first just wanted me to foster her, but I knew that if I took her home, I would have to keep her forever. This is different for every person, but my puppy was part of my family the day I brought her home and always will be. Fostering is great for those who are able to say goodbye. I am too emotional for that. Anyway, I think this is a good tread and people should really think about it before they make a decision. Don't adopt if you are planning on it being temporary because you are lonely. One day you wont be bored and lonely anymore then what happens to the poor animal when that happens. Oh and I recently found out my puppy is deaf. This has added a lot of frustration to my life, but I am committed to her and will stick with her to raise her the best way I can. Oh and by the way, if anyone has experience with a deaf puppy and can give some tips on training, that would be great. I am scared to get started. She is very smart and can do it I'm sure, but I'm still nervous. 
Oh and to the person who knows of a doggy day care, where do you live? I'm in Daegu.
Also, in the summer, what do you do about the air conditioning in the apartment? I know that it is bad to run the AC all day for the cost and that they are not made to run all day. I also know that it gets too hot in Daegu, to leave her with no air? Any suggestions?

I'm looking for a pet pig.  I figure once its time to pack up and leave, it won't be such a burden cuz I can just throw a massive SamGyupSal party before I go.

BAHAAA! Can't believe nobody gave you 'flak' about this...hehe, invite me please, I love Samgyupsal!

got to agree.
I have a cat.
Got her 7 years ago.
Took her to the states when I went home for 3 months and brought her back when I came back to Korea. (One could argue that making her take the plane trip twice was cruel -- she would)
If you get a pet you need to plan on keeping it
The CSM in 2004 required all PCS-ing soldiers to provide proof of the animals safe whereabouts (adopted by friend, taking home with you, etc) before you could leave Korea. It was a decision I supported because too many soldiers were just abandoning their dogs and cats for convenience.

I almost bought a gerbil at Homeplus yesterday but my Nonghyop Bank card stopped working. Turned out to be a good thing that it did, because now that I think about it I wonder if I would be able to care properly for it. Plus I'm going home at the end of August and then what? Can't just 'transport' it in my pocket. But if you get a pet and can look after it and devote enough care and time to it and can safely transport it home when you are done then I see nothing wrong with having a pet here. Same conditions as having a pet anywhere really.

It's not just foreigners that are irresponsible. I live on Jeju island, with a lot of homes that are only occupied a part of the year aka vacation homes. There are tons of abandoned pets running around in my town and they are not mutts but very expensive designer dogs. There are not many foreigners in my town and I assume that people came here on vacation and just abandoned their pets when it wasn't convenient. It is really sad.

I will be the first to agree that seeing posts of - 'Free Cat', 'Dog for 50,000won' etc etc, really upsets and annoys me and I get very frustrated by seeing it every day on waygook.org. But, I don't think you speak for all pet owners. I have a Yorkshire Terrier here in Korea with me, whom I love and care for greatly. When I leave Korea, the dog will come home with me. Don't make sweeping generalisations. I know plenty of responsible pet owners here. But to anyone considering a pet, unless you can take it home with you when you leave then please don't get one. You can always foster a dog from a sanctuary or shelter for the time you are here. Consider that instead.

I'm not sure what to think about the OP. Is this someone who doesn't like pets? I adopted a dog here and she's coming home with me. Even if she wasn't, at least I got her off death row at KARMA shelter and I could make the effort to re-home her if taking her wasn't an option. Many dogs are rotting away in shelters (check out ARK), even a few days in a real home is a treat for them. It's called FOSTERING. Buying for a pet store is something different all together. And most of those dogs end up in shelters anyway.

I agree. Fostering an animal is a great way to help. Helping a dog or cat become healthy and then finding a better (more permenent) home is one way to enjoy having a pet without damaging the animal even more!