Abandoned dog becomes Korea's first dog

South Korean President Moon Jae-in yesterday welcomed an abandoned dog to the Blue House, where he lives and works.

President Moon welcomed Tory to the Blue House yesterday. Photo: Blue House.

Tori, a 4-year-old mixed-breed dog, became the first abandoned dog to receive the title of first dog. She joins Mr. Moon's two other pets, Maru, a 10-year-old Korean dog, andJjing-jing, a stray cat.

"As a society, we need to pay more attention to abandoned animals and take care of them," Reuters quoted Mr. Moon as telling animal protection activists, adding that there were up to 300,000 abandoned animals.

Like many other animals at the rescue station, Tori suffers from a double prejudice, being both abandoned and dark-haired, in a country that favors light-colored animals and avoids dark ones for superstitious reasons.

"Tori had to wait two years for an adoption while her lighter-colored friends easily found new homes,"Park Soyoun, president of the animal rescue centerCoexistence of Animal Rights on Earth, saysin Seoul.

Before being rescued, Tori was left tied up and starving in an abandoned farm. "We wish Tori all the best at the Blue House, unlike the nine other dogs abandoned by former President Park Geun-hye in March after she was removed from office," Park said.

Mr Moon's predecessor was criticised for leaving nine Korean Jindo dogs at the Blue House when she was ousted over a corruption scandal.

Pet ownership in South Korea is on the rise, with nearly 25% of all households owning an animal, but the trend has also led to a rise in the number of animals abandoned at shelters across the country. The government spent $10.3 million to care for about 87,100 abandoned animals in 2016.

According to VNE