A dog is being rescued from an area hit by a wildfire in Sancheong, North Gyeongsang Province. Courtesy of WEACT

As deadly wildfires sweeping through Korea's southeast forces people to evacuate, pets — many left tied to leashes — are facing life-threatening conditions and difficulties in being rescued.

According to the animal rescue group WEACT, 13 pets had been rescued in North Gyeongsang Province as of Wednesday. The organization began its operations on Sunday to rescue animals trapped in evacuated areas.

Most of the rescued pets were found tied up, unable to escape even as the surrounding areas were scorched and blanketed in ash.

"There are still 20 to 30 percent of areas in Yeongyang, North Gyeongsang Province, that we haven't even been able to check for stranded pets," Ham Hyeong-sun, head of WEACT, said.

Ham noted that firefighters have also been assisting with the rescue, cutting leashes to free animals that had been left behind.

In disaster situations, most emergency shelters do not accept pets, leaving evacuees with limited options for staying with their animals.

In 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs launched an initiative to designate co-shelters that would accommodate both humans and their pets during disasters. However, the project has since stalled, with little progress made.

"There is no clear provision for allowing pets in shelters. That means it's uncertain whether they may be permitted," Ham said.

In reality, it is nearly impossible for human evacuees to stay in these facilities with their animal companions.

Some rescued pets are voluntarily surrendered to animal rescue organizations by their owners. In other cases, no owner can be located.

"We shared a post about the dog we rescued on the first day to Instagram, asking the owner to come forward, and requested that Sancheong County Office issue a lost pet notice," Ham said.

However, the county declined, arguing that the dog had been tied up and was presumed to have an owner at the time it was rescued — meaning it did not meet the legal definition of an abandoned animal.

Meanwhile, the wildfires, which has been burning since March 21, has incinerated over 30,000 hectares of land, making it the largest wildfires recorded in Korea's history.