A Mission to Save Another 100 Lives

The issue of pet homelessness has now undoubtedly become a global pandemic, and the situation is dire. With such limited resources already stretched thin, we are forced to make nearly impossible decisions every day.

A walk through the city pound brings about inevitable feelings of hopelessness when forced to make such choices, knowing those who are not pulled will be destined for euthanasia after their 10-day hold expires. Do you save the senior dog so that they don’t die alone and unloved in a shelter, or the young dog who has their whole life ahead of them? Or do you choose the shy one, knowing their timidness will hinder their prospects to leave the shelter, or the social butterfly knowing they will get adopted sooner, paving the way to save another life? There is no right answer, but the only truth we know is that we need to try.

This past spring, Free Korean Dogs teamed up with our colleagues in Korea to launch the “Save 100 Dogs” project. Our mission was simple but urgent – to rescue 100 dogs from the city pound in Chuncheon, near our partner boarding house. We hit the ground running in June 2024, and with a lot of hard work, dedication, collaboration, and support from our community, we exceeded our goal and saved a total of 110 dogs.

After a 2 week quarantine period, vet checkups, spay and neuter, medical clearances, and behavioral assessments, each one now has a brighter future to look forward to, and a second chance to experience the love and security they would have otherwise been robbed of.

It is heartbreaking to know that so many dogs at the city pound who would make amazing family companions are overlooked simply because of overpopulation issues, a stigma against abandoned dogs who are seen as “damaged”, and/or a disregard for their lack of purebred pedigree. Concurrently, it is heartwarming to see them being embraced by people committed to making up for their tragic past and providing them with a loving future.

We are happy to report that 27 dogs from our rescue mission have already made it to Canada and found their forever homes. While we are beside ourselves with joy seeing them blossom, we have been especially delighted in seeing dogs like Schumann, a gentle and resilient soul whose story truly touched our hearts. Seeing him happy and thriving with his new family reminds us why we do what we do, and gives us the strength to soldier forward at times when our world becomes dark and discouraging.

Just recently, we collaborated with our colleagues once again and rescued an additional 28 dogs from the city pound. These newest additions will undergo the same process of quarantine, spay/neuter, medical, and behavioral assessments before going on to find their forever homes. The process will be smooth for some, and longer and more complicated for others, but it is our hope that each and every one of them will be able to live out their happily ever after sooner or later.

Rescue takes a village, because “alone we can do so little, but together we can achieve so much”. Thank you to everyone who has made our ambitious project a success, from our frontline rescue workers, vets, shelter volunteers, donors, and supporters who share our mission. We promise to continue to give 110% of our efforts to make a difference for these dogs.