President Moon Jae-in (left) smiles as he’s given a T-shirt printed with a picture of his newly adopted dog, Tory, by Park So-youn and A.J. Garcia from the animal rights group Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth, at Cheong Wa Dae on July 26.
By Sohn JiAe
Photos = Cheong Wa Dae
An abandoned dog named Tory has become Korea’s newest first dog.
President Moon Jae-in adopted Tory, a predominantly black mixed breed woofer, from the animal rights group Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE), at Cheong Wa Dae on July 26.
The four-year-old presidential pet was rescued from a run-down building in Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do Province, in 2015, and has been living in shelters until now.
Adopting Tory follows a promise that President Moon made on May 5 during the presidential campaign.
President Moon Jae-in (left) listens as Park So-youn from the animal rights group CARE explains regular vaccinations and feeding schedules as he adopts the formerly abandoned dog Tory, the nation’s new first dog, at Cheong Wa Dae on July 26.
As the president was presented with a T-shirt printed with Tory and the canine’s nickname “Moon Tory,” derived from the president’s own surname, as well as some dog food and snacks, President Moon said, “The number of pet owners has exceeded 10 million now.” He then called for making a society where people and abandoned animals can co-exist, saying, “We all need to pay more attention to abandoned animals and to care for them as a society.”
The addition of Tory has brought the number of first pets in the presidential residence to three.
Prior to Tory, President Moon brought his cat, Jjing-jjing, and dog, Maru, to Cheong Wa Dae in May this year, both pets that he has raised in his personal home in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do Province.
President Moon Jae-in smiles as he greets first dog Tory at Cheong Wa Dae on July 26.
jiae5853@korea.kr
