From a Pet Store in Seoul to New York: Inside a Recent Rescue
Our director Gina was recently in Seoul, working alongside local authorities and local partners to shut down an illegal pet store in one of the richest areas of the city, Gangnam.
This wasn’t a routine visit. Police were on-site.
Inside, dogs were being bred and held in unsanitary conditions. Some had been injected with unknown substances to keep them “market-ready.”
Many had never experienced life outside of a cage.
While this was a pet store, the conditions mirrored what we see in puppy mills.
That’s because the two are often connected.
Dogs are bred in large-scale facilities, moved through auction systems, and eventually sold through retail storefronts, sometimes for thousands of dollars in neighborhoods like Gangnam.
In this case, some of the dogs rescued were poodles and Pomeranians that could have been sold for up to $3,000.
Instead, they were removed.
But getting them out was only the beginning.
After being rescued, the dogs began receiving medical care in Korea. Several required surgery for luxating patella.
Some had alopecia and skin conditions tied to prolonged stress and neglect. Many were also underweight and needed time to regain their strength.
Recovery started immediately, but it takes time. Months, not weeks.
Once they were cleared to travel, the dogs were brought to the U.S. to continue their recovery and prepare for adoption.
This Saturday, those same dogs will be at a Korean K9 Rescue dog yoga event.
The event sold out in under 48 hours.
It’s a very different place from where they started.
But this isn’t a one-time story.
Operations like the one Gina walked into are still happening. Puppy mills, illegal pet stores, and auction systems continue to operate, fueled by demand and enabled by regulatory gaps. South Korea does not yet have an equivalent to the UK’s Lucy’s Law, which restricts the sale of puppies by third-party sellers. Until those kinds of protections are in place, the system continues. Korean K9 Rescue is working with partners in Korea to step into these situations when possible, but that work requires resources. Medical care, transport, and the time each dog takes to recover and adjust. If you’re thinking about adding a dog to your family, consider adopting from a rescue
