Cherry Blossoms & KAPS

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It is officially spring in Korea.

Welcome to Cherry Blossom Season. These beautiful flowers are bursting open everywhere. This weekend, I spent all of Saturday walking through Duryu Park in Daegu just taking in the scenery.

This weekend, I hope to head northwards and see if I can catch a bit more of the spectacle.

I won't lie. This entry is mostly for photowhoring purposes. Enjoy these beautiful flowers.

In the meantime, on Sunday, I made my first visit to the very awesome Daegu animal shelter run by KAPS. KAPS, which stands for Korean Animal Protection Society, is a not-for-profit charity which has three actual establishments: a dog shelter, a cat shelter , and a dog sanctuary . They are constantly looking for volunteers, sponsors, and donations to help in any way possible.

When I first got in contact with KAPS, I touched base with Ally, who turned out to be best friends with my friend Katie from Korean classes at the YMCA. Small world. After asking a few questions, I met up with her, Katie, and about five other foreigners at the shelter. Most of the others had been there before. They went up to the dogs and took them to walks to, and around, Duryu Park.

I however, stayed behind with Ally and Katie. Ally had been in a car accident the day before and hurt her back, and there were plenty of little dogs that were badly in near of some baths. The three of us got to work bathing, grooming, and letting the little ones get a little time to run around before being put back into their crates. Baths are so important for these dogs because they are in such close confinement. The shelter does not have the funding to vaccinate all of these dogs, and things like kennel cough, parvo, and distemper are not uncommon. It's really sad.

There is also a cat shelter which I visited, which is much "nicer" than the dog shelter. Cats are more social animals than dogs, and seem to have much less of a problem getting along. Because of this, they don't have to stay in individual crates, etc. Instead, they have huge indoor/outdoor areas that they all just lay out in. If I was a cat, I would be purfectly content to live at the KAPS cat shelter (haha, get that pun? hah. oh.). There were a few notable cuties, but a little fluffy white one with beautiful eyes caught my attention the most: one was light green, the other was sky blue. It followed me from room to room and pretty much sat on my knee. Sweetest cat ever.

Back to the dog shelter. Before the bathing took place, I had a full peek of the shelter. All of the little dogs lived downstairs (on the 3rd floor). A few BIG dogs (we're talking Great Pyrenees big, folks) live in the bigger areas upstairs. It's sad seeing the big dogs, because you know that in Korea (where little dogs and officetels go hand-in-hand), it is so much less likely for them to be rehomed and get the attention/activity that they need.

"Activity?" you ask. Yes. You would not believe how many BIG dogs (I'm talking Chow Chows, here), are kept as if they are little dogs. They pretty much plump up and lay around the house/apartment... all day. The owners of the coffee shop near me (Makada coffee) keep a Chow Chow in a coffee shop that maybe, MAYBE is the size of my bedroom at home.

No exaggeration.

So, yes, it's rather sad seeing the big dogs. BUT while I was there, I did get to witness TWO adoptions. It was so good. With so many dogs coming into the shelter, and so few adoptions going through, KAPS, unfortunately, is not a no-kill shelter. It can't afford to be. Usually, the animals that are put down are old, sick, or too mentally unsound/unpredictable to be rehomed. The dogs that come in are usually mill pups that owners buy in shops, realize that they take work, are just out of their "omg cute puppy" stage, and purebred, beautiful dogs. The other dogs that come in are literally abandoned on the streets, or WORSE, found in the meat markets.

One of the dogs we washed, who at the time was being called "Cornelius," had been adopted by a family in Tennessee. A regular volunteer at the shelter will be flying home (with the dog) in July, so they are currently fundraising for the cost of the flight.

But because the dog's been adopted, and there are so many illnesses at the shelter, they were looking for a foster parent.

In walks me. I'm allowed to have pets at my apartment. I was never allowed to have a dog at home. I have no prior engagements from now until the dog's departure in the beginning of July. ...It was destiny, right? The family he's going to has a pug and a four-year-old.

Anyway, I'm picking the dog up Saturday. I was responsible and made sure the apartment way puppy proof and ready before bringing him home. First thing he's getting is a good bath! 😊

I'll post with more pictures when he's here.

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Photos

Ziggy
Previously called "Cornelius," this is a shelter-shot of the Corgi that I will be fostering starting this Saturday. He will happily be joining his adoptive family in the USA in early July.

Comments

[Kate in Africa]

I want a puppy! I wish my room were bigger than a Harry Potter-sized closet because I would totally foster a puppy, especially one that sounds like he was named by Chase Fetters! :)

[anonymous]

Why can't the Tennessee family get a dog in Tennessee?!? Let me run out to Papua New Guinea for a cat...

[Eric]

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[HeartandSeoul]

KAPS requires only that the family pay the normal adoption fee (100,000W which covers the surgery to neuter), which, considering most of these animals are purebred, is actually relatively inexpensive. The cost to fly the dog home, on the other hand, will be covered through fund-raising. In this situation, it will be, anyway. I can't say the same for other adoptees. Additionally, Koreans are really big on little dogs. Herding dogs, like this little Corgi, and the bigger dogs at the shelter are much less likely to be adopted by Koreans, especially since they are out of their puppy phases. So KAPS ships to Canada and the US to let supply meet demand. Recently, an Afghan hound was flown over to California to the Afghan Rescue of Southern California, where he will be taken care of and permanently rehomed in the United States.

[Christo]

My pic!
Hey, this is my photo!!! I took this pic on a dog walk in Daegu! I am so glad someone adopted her!

[HeartandSeoul]

It's a great shot! :) Ziggy's going to a really enthusiastic family in the first week of July (~the 5th). :) He's such a sweetie. All he wants to do is play. Play with me, play with strangers on the street, play with our neighbor dog ("his girlfriend"). I can't believe I only have 4 weeks left with him!