PYEONGTAEK, Republic of Korea - "It's raining cats and dogs" is more than an expression at Happy Home Animal Shelter. There, owner Geayong Kim and staff care for 380 animals.
Kim has been caregiver to abandoned dogs and cats for years. She knows the names and background of all 380 animals at the shelter.
This includes a two-month-old blind puppy that was placed in a trash can and a dog with an axe in its head. While stories like this can be poignant, the goal of the shelter is to make the endings happy ones. Here, animals are given medical care and a good place to live.
All the dogs are given checkups and cared for daily and one portion of the shelter is reserved for sick and recovering dogs.
Happy Home is always looking for volunteers and donations. One volunteer, Youngoak Hwang, is married to Humphreys Deputy Fire Chief Christophe Fletcher.
"I just want to help them out as much as I can," Hwang said.
For information on how to volunteer or adopt a pet, call 010-7758-9048 for an English speaker or 010-2324-8760 for a Korean speaker.
Kim said that animals "have feelings, too and when they are abandoned, they will wait for the owner who abandoned them."
Yuan Shin began volunteering after hearing the tales of some of the dogs.
"The stories were heartbreaking so I wanted to come here and help them," she said.
And dogs aren't the only ones benefitting. "Dogs do not give you stress or break your heart like people do," Shin said.
"I love dogs," added volunteer Eunu Shin. "They're like family and friends to me."
Servicemembers are reminded to never abandon a pet. They can be taken to places such as Happy Home or Howeward Bound Osan Animal Shelter. Pets can also be adopted from these shelters. If interested in adopting from Howeward Bound, call 010-8023-6133 or search for "Homeward Bound Osan" on Facebook. Pets can also be found through the Humphreys Facebook page.
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