Why do teachers get pets in Korea?

What about your parents?

My parents won't take them. My mom could be convinced but my dad is dead set against it. He just retired last week and he's enjoying having the house to himself.

Another related question should be, why do some Koreans get pets when they treat them so bad.
I've been here 8 months and everyday I walk past a dog. Always in a cage, no blanket, sleeping in it's own poo.
Also my neighbour has 2 dogs. From my window I can see their cage. I have never seen them out of that cage.
I feel so bad for them. It's not much of a life.

I do agree with the OP in a sense. But wouldn't you rather  have 1, 2, 3 or 5 years of the NT caring and looking after their animal well than a whole life of misery?

Do you remember the millions of pigs dumped into a hole and buried alive?

There are a million reasons to get a pet in Korea or anywhere else, half of them are wonderful, half of them are awful. There are also a million reasons to get rid of a pet, usually they are sad and unhappy and not so great, but sometimes we have legitimate reasons.

I have two kittens now and I'm moving in August but it is absolutely NECESSARY that where I move be willing to accept my kittens. If the place is no pets, then I won't live there.

Loneliness or companionship is one of the best reasons for a pet. But maintaining that is critical.

Also, anyone been on zooseyo.com? Its the perfect example of KOREANS who get pets and then can't take care of them or have things come up. It's not a foreigner problem. It's a responsibility problem.

"Why do teachers get pets in Korea?"

Harsh much??

Some of us have gotten amazing pets through the teachers who posted their pet information on this website. And I would rather individuals feel they CAN post information here than just leave their pets in boxes on the side of the street forcing that helpless animal to starve to death, be run over by cars or be attacked by strays. .

Let's not be judgemental and guilt someone into doing something truly regretful because they feel attacked for trying to find an animal a home.

"Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes".

Mareena that is a good point and I deeply apologize if I came off as harsh. That was not my intention. If you are a loving pet owner who is going to take your pet back with you to your home country then brilliant. If you re-read my posts it's for the people who are looking for impulsive 'here and now' pets because they're lonely in Korea, but when they go off to Thailand for vacation or finish their contract then they just dispose of them. That's my point. Some people have mentioned donating to a shelter - brilliant! Some people have said their pet is absolutely going with them wherever they go - brilliant! Some people try to just give away their pets to whoever is willing when they leave, or put them to sleep - not so brilliant. This is my point. This post is for people considering getting pets on a whim while here. Not for people who are already providing loving homes for their pets. Also the 'before you criticize a man' quote is very true indeed. But criticism is not my intention, it's more a 'let's be more aware' scenario.

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.

This is VERY important. If you want to get a pet at least read the quarantine restrictions!

I would never want a pet while living in an apartment anyway.  I wouldn't really want at all actually.  They are too expensive, loud, and smelly to live with.  I like other people's pets though.

i agree with the OP ...  Unless you will be bringing it back home with you, please don't get one :(

I have been contemplating on getting a pet too, but I have convinced myself to not own one. My apartment and lifestyle at the moment will not accomodate a dependent animal. Visiting a pet store once in a while reminds me why I don't want to own a pet. Being there for ten minutes, the dogs in the store will run up to you constantly begging to be held.  :o I'd go insane if that happened at home.

You're here for one or two or three years (and if you've married a Korean and plan on living here forever then obviously this doesn't apply to you.) But you're here on a TEMPORARY BASIS. Dogs and cats live for years. What do you expect to happen to that animal when you leave? Just fob it off on whoever is willing to take it? We all have two big vacations a year where we go off to Thailand or home or Bali or whatever and who do you expect to look after your pet? Pets are not disposable. You may think you're doing the world a favor taking home a little hamster from E-Mart but it's even more cruel when you up and leave in a years time and expect someone else to take it or even worse have it put down because you can't take it with you. Unless you're taking your fluffy Persian back to the States with you, then don't get a pet. You're using a living creature to temporarily fill your loneliness and then disposing of it when you leave. It's irresponsible and selfish. Don't get a pet.

You're right that it can be selfish in some ways, and that's the main reason I don't ever "buy" animals from pet stores.  If ever, it's a stray or one from an animal shelter.  That's what happened when I was in S.Korea myself, and ended up with a cute persian from an animal shelter, and a few who were being sold (for what I think was supposed to turn into soup!) at some food market (farmer's market style).

I gave the few kittens away to the students.  The science teacher took the persian, and she is an animal lover too, which made me feel ok about it.

I think if someone is saving an animal from torture or death, and makes the effort to find someone suitable to take them in, it should also be considered an exception to what was mentioned.

Because English Teachers in Korea are really all part of a secret covert underground animal rights agency that are here to save them from becoming a hearty dish.

So, I'm lonely, I want a pet, but I know I'm not ready for the commitment of a dog or a cat. I'd like to get a smaller animal (rabbit, hedgehog, etc.) from an animal shelter because I don't see how people can justify supporting pet stores when there are so many animals in shelters. I don't know if I'll be able to take an animal with me when I leave.

Does the OP think that a rabbit would really be better off living in an animal shelter that it would be staying with a lonely ex-pat? What are the chances that another more responsible owner will come along? Compare that to the probability that some spoiled 13 year old will adopt it and then get bored after a few months.

I'm honestly willing to listen to answers and change my mind, but an answer like "even bunny rabbits deserve forever homes" isn't convincing unless accompanied by a statistic stating that "85 percent of rabbits at shelters find permanent homes within a year" with follow up to show that "permanent home" doesn't mean just another lonely English teacher.

Here's another question. Why is it okay to foster a dog but not adopt one? I can understand why it could be better to foster a puppy and then give him up in time for him to find a permanent home, but what about a grown dog? Why is it okay for me to take the dog and find it a new home in a few months, but not okay for me to take a dog and find it a new home in a few years?

And one more question. There's an adorable abandoned dog who lives in my town and I have thought of taking him in. I would take him to the vet to make sure he's healthy and has all his shots and what not. And I would hope to take him home when I leave Korea, but I can't guarantee that I could. But, is this dog really better off on the street than he would be if I took him in for a few years and then passed him on to someone else? Again, I'm honestly asking the question. He seems well-fed but does he have someplace warm to stay in winter? Wouldn't he be better off having an owner to play with? Or is he better off roaming the streets, where there are lots of other dogs to play with?

I guess I'm a moral relativist, but I can't get angry at someone who takes in a dog for only a few years. I pass so many chained up dogs on five foot leashes that it seems like any human attention would be a blessing for a lucky cat or dog, even if they did have to change home a few times.

Just a heads up for people from the UK and Ireland.

If you are planning to adopt a pet, and then bring them back home with you, your pet will face an expensive six month quarantine upon entering either country.

not only that, but it's a fact that many pets die in quarantine because they are so stressed out and think they have been abandoned. i would say that if you have to have an animal quarantined to bring it home, even for two weeks, it's better not to get one at all than to put it through that.

it's amazing to me that people are able to keep their pets alive here as it is. i've known three people who got kittens—two from pet stores and one from a shelter—and all got sick and died within a week. the same thing happened to a rabbit another friend got from a store. and most of the little puppy mill creatures i see in the windows of pet stores look so inbred, sickly and fragile that i'd be surprised if they survive very long out of the box.

i agree with the OP, but i think the same rule applies to anyone, anywhere. if you don't understand the responsibilities and real costs that go with having a pet, and you're not in a stable living situation, it's better not to have one at all. however, it's true that sometimes completely unforeseen circumstances arise and you have to make difficult decisions. again, that can happen anywhere. i know it sets the bar low, but it's true what other people have said: at least some people are trying to find homes for pets instead of just leaving them on the side of the road to suffer and die.

100% agree with OP.
I am sick to death of these "good home needed for lovely cat" posts.
The people who take on these cats claim to be animal lovers, but are actually very selfish and have no idea of how much time and effort looking after a pet entails.

I know many people who have cats that live in tiny one bedroom apartments. Might as well put them in a cage. It is not a natural environment.
Cat's and dogs need space and the company of other animals.

For those who "rescue" animals... noble intentions but to what end... like the OP said in a year or two you will be dumping the cat to a shelter or back to another one room apartment.

I don't want to see any more posts on this site from people giving away their unwanted pets.
Don't give your pet away to another foreigner who can't give the pet what it needs.

Grrrrrr

100% agree with OP.
I am sick to death of these "good home needed for lovely cat" posts.
The people who take on these cats claim to be animal lovers, but are actually very selfish and have no idea of how much time and effort looking after a pet entails.

I know many people who have cats that live in tiny one bedroom apartments. Might as well put them in a cage. It is not a natural environment.
Cat's and dogs need space and the company of other animals.

For those who "rescue" animals... noble intentions but to what end... like the OP said in a year or two you will be dumping the cat to a shelter or back to another one room apartment.

I don't want to see any more posts on this site from people giving away their unwanted pets.
Don't give your pet away to another foreigner who can't give the pet what it needs.

Grrrrrr

I agree 100% with you and the OP, it IS better to let abandoned animals starve to death on the street than to foster them for a year or two.  All of those animal fosterers and animal rescuers are incredibly selfish and immoral!  I'd like to see how they'd like to live in a small apartment and be fed and loved every day and have to move in a year or two!  We'd never subject human beings to that kind of cruel treatment!  The only posts I want to see on this site are people saying "I saw the starving kitten again in the street today.  She had lost her mother and was clearly going to die.  I could have helped, but I realized that the only moral thing to do was to let it die.  So I laughed and laughed HAHAHA!"


GRRRR


(To be more serious...it's not cool to judge unless you know all the facts.  Most of the people here, including the ones posting the threads that you so hate, are trying to to the best they can for the animals they love.  That sometimes includes making decisions like "this animal would be better off with me in a small apartment than on the street or in a small cage in a shelter".  It also includes "this animal would be better off with another loving foreigner, even in a small apartment, than in quarentine or back in a shelter.   As long as the decision is made with love and caring, I don't think you or I get to judge.)

To Lprice regarding the heat and dogs
I bought a fan and have that going all day as well as having windows open
and plenty of water

So, I'm lonely, I want a pet, but I know I'm not ready for the commitment of a dog or a cat. I'd like to get a smaller animal (rabbit, hedgehog, etc.) from an animal shelter because I don't see how people can justify supporting pet stores when there are so many animals in shelters. I don't know if I'll be able to take an animal with me when I leave.

Does the OP think that a rabbit would really be better off living in an animal shelter that it would be staying with a lonely ex-pat? What are the chances that another more responsible owner will come along? Compare that to the probability that some spoiled 13 year old will adopt it and then get bored after a few months.

I'm honestly willing to listen to answers and change my mind, but an answer like "even bunny rabbits deserve forever homes" isn't convincing unless accompanied by a statistic stating that "85 percent of rabbits at shelters find permanent homes within a year" with follow up to show that "permanent home" doesn't mean just another lonely English teacher.

First, props for choosing animal shelters over pet stores.  I greatly support adopting over shopping. 

However, some points I would suggest to think about before adopting a small animal like a rabbit or hedgehog:

 -  Rabbits, hedgehogs, guinea pigs, ferrets, etc, are not necessarily easier pets than cats or dogs.  In fact, they require a specific kind of care and have particular habits that you should research before you get one.  For example, rabbits have a tendency to chew to wear down their ever-growing teeth.  So you'd have to be prepared to rabbit-proof your place.
 -  It can be even more difficult to take a rabbit, hedgehog, or guinea pig back (although not impossible depending on where you live).  Cats and dogs find plane travel a bit less stressful than, say, a rabbit.
 -  How long do you plan to live in Korea before returning home, especially if you do not plan and/or cannot take the animal back with you when you leave?  Keep in mind that the smaller animals that you mentioned have shorter lifespans.  Rabbits, for example, can live anywhere from 5 - 12 years depending on the breed, size, and health.  At the end of your time here you may either be trying to find a home for a bunny in their senior years, or face the difficulty of deciding whether they will survive a plane trip with you.
 -  I've never had a rabbit/hedgehog/guinea pig etc, but I have heard that they do indeed grow attached to their owners especially if you socialize them properly.  So they do get stressed when they go to a new place plus have a new person/caretaker in their lives.
 -  And lastly, why is it that rabbits and hedgehogs deserve less commitment than a dog or cat?  I can see how someone would use that argument about fish, as they live in the water and don't interact in the same environment in which we live.  If you research proper care for rabbits you might find that they are able to cuddle, play, and interact with you, just like other common pets so make sure you have the time to give them the attention that they need.

Here's another question. Why is it okay to foster a dog but not adopt one? I can understand why it could be better to foster a puppy and then give him up in time for him to find a permanent home, but what about a grown dog? Why is it okay for me to take the dog and find it a new home in a few months, but not okay for me to take a dog and find it a new home in a few years?

That's a good question, and here is my answer.  In the first case (fostering) what you are doing is to benefit the animal first and foremost.  Of course, you get their company while they are with you but at the end of the day you are actively searching for their "forever" home so it's really about them, not you.  That's pretty selfless.
When you "adopt" for a year or two, it's instead all about you and they benefit only when it is convenient to you.  So while you are here in the country to give them love and attention and make them a part of your family, great!  But once you are about to leave they become an inconvenience and you get rid of them/"find them a good home".  That's pretty selfish.

*EDIT*  Just wanted to add that even the most committed people sometime cannot keep their pets for valid reasons, but that should be an exceptional occurrence, not a commonplace one.

And one more question. There's an adorable abandoned dog who lives in my town and I have thought of taking him in. I would take him to the vet to make sure he's healthy and has all his shots and what not. And I would hope to take him home when I leave Korea, but I can't guarantee that I could. But, is this dog really better off on the street than he would be if I took him in for a few years and then passed him on to someone else?

If you want to help the dog, then by all means do so sooner rather than later since there are a lot of dangers for a dog living on the streets and if he ends up disappearing or hit by a car... :(  But please don't leave the decision to bring him home with you until you're closer to leaving.  If you adopt a dog, be prepared to make that commitment to keeping him and that you will find a way to bring him home.  It's not like you can't go travelling after Korea, or go to grad school, or whathaveyou.  You just have to make him a part of how you make a decision on what to do and how to do it. 
I adopted a dog off the streets here in Korea.  It may not be as easy to go about as freely as if I were alone, but I know she'll be there for me as long as I'm there for her.  She came with me when I went back home.  It's worth it and I have no regrets.

If you want to help him but know you cannot bring him back with you, try and find him that forever home far in advance of when you leave, if possible.  Some times it can take a while so it's better to start earlier so you have a better chance of finding him a great home, as opposed to a "good enough" home if there is little time before you leave.

I guess I'm a moral relativist, but I can't get angry at someone who takes in a dog for only a few years. I pass so many chained up dogs on five foot leashes that it seems like any human attention would be a blessing for a lucky cat or dog, even if they did have to change home a few times.

I don't think the issue is so black and white, instead there is a lot of grey when it comes to helping animals so it's hard to have a strict answer.  But, for example, I don't consider a dog that gets passed around every year to be lucky.  Look at it from another point of view:  Would you consider a child that goes from foster home to foster home year after year to be "lucky"?  I know there will be people who will say that children /= animals, and that's true.  But I think saying that the animals that are passed around have it better off than an obviously bad life (stew pot, abuse, 3-foot chain, etc) is kind of a way to excuse behaviour that really isn't that great for the animal.  Two crusts of bread and water is better than one crust of bread and water, but it's still not what you'd consider to be healthy (yes, extreme example, I know  ;) )

Good luck to you and the neighbourhood dog!  If you decide to take him in, just double check and see that he doesn't have a "benevolently" neglectful owner that lets him run around on the street.  Sometimes abandoned dogs are not as abandoned as you think they are, especially in Korea.

Thank you for such a through reply, and although I disagree with a lot of what you said, it has pushed me away from getting a pet. I think maybe the reason I haven't gotten one yet is because I know I can't provide the best home for it.

However, I don't want the best to be the enemy of the good. Animal advocates shouldn't discourage people from helping animals at all just because these people aren't able or willing to do 100%. 80% is still a lot of percent.

And lastly, why is it that rabbits and hedgehogs deserve less commitment than a dog or cat?  I can see how someone would use that argument about fish, as they live in the water and don't interact in the same environment in which we live.  If you research proper care for rabbits you might find that they are able to cuddle, play, and interact with you, just like other common pets so make sure you have the time to give them the attention that they need.

I do believe that most animals require less commitment than cats or dogs, especially dogs. The dog was designed to need our care, physically and emotionally. We as a species have a responsibility to look after them.

Rabbits and hedgehogs - well, they were domesticated much more recently. According to Wikipedia, rabbits weren't kept as pets until the 19th century. 200 years of selection is not going to create an animal that needs as much love as a dog.

Whereas I'm Korean so this may not apply to me, my husband is an American.  We have 2 rabbits and I am crazy about them.  We will definitely take them anywhere we go, if we leave Korea.  However, it sickens me when people get a pet and then leaves 7 months later and has to dump the dog or other animal off on someone who is not ready for it.  Don't people realize that pets develop a relationship with their owners and if break them up, that the pet doesn't understand what happens and you can cause serious emotional problems in the animal?

I think the whole reasoning for having a pet is that people are lonely. But I agree if you can't think long term with a pet don't get one.

Davox,
There is no need to let kittens starve to death on the street. If I did see a starving kitten, been here for two years and havn't yet (you must be running around saving them all) then I would take it to an animal shelter.

"Loving foreigner" how can you be loving if you leave a pet alone in an apartment for say, 8 hours a a day with no stimulation. That's not loving in my opinion.

Of course there are different situations and it is hard to make accurate assumptions without seeing each case. However on the whole I think it best, if you are living in Korea temporarily, to just leave having animals out of the equation.

There are other ways you can help:
- give money to an animal charity
- volunteer at an animal shelter
- educate your students about animal care

Also I found your initial sarcastic response a little unhelpful.
Especially as it breaks my heart every time I see animals getting treated badly in this country.