Finding Sanctuary: A Home of Our Own

As we approach our 10th year of operations, we reflect on all of our accomplishments in the past decade and look forward to the next 10 years. We have big, planned changes on the horizon as we embark on a new chapter.

In late 2019, we aspired to raise funds to open up a sanctuary of our own on Canadian soil. We sought counsel from real estate and financial professionals, consulted with different sanctuary owners and operators, and drafted our fundraising plans. Unfortunately, fate had other plans for us, and when the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe and turned our world upside down, we went from ambition to survival overnight. Everything from travel restrictions, skyrocketing cargo transport costs, decreased donations due to economic struggles, and a sharp increase in real estate and renovation costs forced us to put a pause on our plans.

However, the inability to reach one’s dream does not equate to failure. Rather, success is measured in different ways. It had changed its course. In May 2022, after being informed of an illegal operation in Siheung, Korea, we set out to shut down our 3rd dog meat farm. As our largest dog meat farm shutdown to date with 101 dogs, the human and financial resources required for this endeavor put our dreams for a sanctuary further on the back burner.

Now, as we have officially entered the second half of 2024 looking toward 2025, we have decided it is time for our very own Free Korean Dogs Sanctuary in Korea. Led by our Executive Director EK Park, who will be relocating to Korea to lead operations, this space will allow us to continue our life-saving and life-changing work.

Why Korea?

Most importantly, we previously lacked a dedicated person who would be able to manage and oversee operations in Korea. While we work with many amazing rescue and shelter partners, many are already spread thin with their own endeavors. Operating a shelter is a considerable commitment, full of long hours, unpredictable surprises, and heavy labor. It was not until recently EK felt she was in the position to make the move to Korea to lead the project.

Over 100 rescued dogs from our dog meat farm shutdowns are still in Korea, living in our partner shelters. While we continue to take care of all their shelter, medical, and training needs, there are obvious difficulties in doing so at a distance. When we committed to taking care of these dogs, we made the promise for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, and the sad reality is that many of our rescues who still are still emotionally rehabilitating are now all senior dogs. Age-related illnesses come with a unique set of challenges when needing to treat a dog who still cowers in the presence of humans. Bringing them to a Canadian sanctuary to continue training and rehabilitation is not feasible at this stage, much less 100 of them, nor would it be effective to divide them between Korea and Canada.

While we would have loved to have our own sanctuary on Canadian soil, there were many considerations that were made simpler if we set up in Korea. Our friends, partners, and volunteers have taken exceptional care of our dogs and we are beyond grateful, but it is time for us to take the reins in the driver seat. Although our operational costs will remain the same, at approximately $35,000 (CAD) per month in shelter, food, medical, and training costs, our new sanctuary will allow us to have a more personal, hands-on relationship with our rescues while we continue to provide them with the exceptional care they have grown to know.

Finding Sanctuary

Following the Freedom Walk, our executive director EK will be making her way to Korea to find our new space. Our area of interest is within Dangjin, Korea, the home of our 2018 dog meat farm shutdown and EK’s childhood hometown, situated approximately 1.5 hours from the Incheon International Airport, while also providing a quiet and serene setting with ample space for our dogs.

Building Sanctuary

We aspire to secure a space in Winter and begin renovations immediately after. It is likely our building will be an industrial building or an old farmhouse that is no longer in operation, which will require renovations to make the space suitable for our needs.

Our sanctuary will require multiple rooms to separate our residents by size, age, personality, and temperament. We will also require storage space for food, medication, and supplies, a room for bathing and grooming, an outdoor playground space that also allows us to triage and segregate, as well as rooms to quarantine dogs during new intake or for medical recovery.

Having temperature-controlled rooms for the comfort of our residents will be a priority. Additionally, we will be installing a security system to ensure safety for everyone on the property and to have the ability to monitor the residents at all times.

Room to Grow

Our intention is to begin small, starting with approximately 20 dogs and slowly integrating them into small group intakes. Although we have never run our own sanctuary, we know all too well the trials and tribulations that are involved from working hands at our partner shelters.

Eventually, we hope to reach a stage where we can open our door to other dogs from other shelters in need and to provide temporary foster or respite.

An Exciting Road Ahead

We are thrilled at the prospects ahead, and the ability to help more dogs and improve quality of life. Free Korean Dogs will continue to rescue and rehabilitate dogs in Korea and rehome them to loving forever families in Canada and the US. Our teams in North America remain dedicated, committed, and engaged, and will continue operations as usual while our Executive Director expands our operations in Korea.

How Can You Help?

Our endeavor is as sizable as it is exciting. Free Korean Dogs has always been privileged to receive the support needed from our community in order to continue our life-changing work, and we hope you will continue to join us as we embark on this exciting new chapter. There are many ways to get involved, and every effort matters.

• Make a one-time donation: No amount is ever too little. Small changes make the biggest changes, and we should never underestimate their impact.
• Become a monthly donor: Monthly donations help us ensure a stable income and help us better plan our financials for long-term goals. We love surprises, just not in the form of bills!
• Follow us on social media: Our most frequent updates will be posted on our social media pages, so be sure to follow them to stay informed.
• Fundraise for us: Raising funds can be as simple as donating a portion from a small business or hosting a community event. We are always open to ideas on how our supporters can further help support our goals.
• Share our mission: We understand that not everyone is in the position to donate, and their support means no less to us than others. If you are not in the position to give, consider sharing our mission with like-minded animal lovers who might be able to.

We will continue to share details and updates as we move forward. In the meantime, we thank everyone for their continued support, encouragement, and motivation. Thank you for allowing us to do what we love and believe in.