USAG YONGSAN -- For families who are constantly on the move, providing quality care for their pets can be a difficult task. This is especially true for military personnel who go through a permanent change of station (PCS) every few years. To help families feel more at home, the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan MWR Pet Care Center provides a wide range of services that are intended to make your pet feel right at home, too.
Located near Gate 13, the Pet Care Center has 19 dog kennels and 10 catteries that can each hold up to three pets at a time. Occasionally, other pets such as guinea pigs, chinchillas, and birds visit as well. The facility and the staff are fully certified to officially provide care for pets with services such as grooming, transportation, and free consultation for the owners.
"The goal is to make a one-stop day care center for pets," said Gina Nam, the manager of the MWR Pet Care Center. "I want to establish a facility where people can come and have all their questions about their pets answered and any problems resolved when it comes to handling complicated documentation procedures."
During PCS season, between April and September, the Pet Care Center sees more than 60 families in need of their services. During this peak season, nearly 100 pets go in and out of the facility and the pet traffic that comes through the center has slowly been increasing compared to previous years.
"There is a lot of movement during PCS season, but the main issue that families encounter when first being stationed in the Republic of Korea is that they do not know about the existence of our facility and what kind of services we can offer," said Nam. "Transportation can be tricky when transferring to Korea with a pet, so you can obviously imagine how difficult it would be for families who are not informed about their options correctly."
According to staff members, these problems are not overlooked since management at the Pet Care Center takes priority in proactively implementing changes.
"We now have a pet taxi service that we launched at the beginning of this year," said Jean Kim, the Contracting Officer's Representative for the Pet Care Center. "With the new service in effect, we can provide transportation on Yongsan Garrison and some of the surrounding areas."
According to Kim, MWR is also in the process of planning more pet-oriented events in the near future.
For those who have questions regarding their pets, especially procedures involving one's PCS, the staff highly recommends contacting the facility.
"If people give us a call before they come in, we can help them avoid many problems," said Nam. "At the end of all these changes, I want the Yongsan Pet Care Center known as a place where families can come and just enjoy their time with their pets and leave satisfied."
Related Links:
U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan Homepage
Social Sharing