[Source] Introducing Daegu animal shelter: Korea Animal Protection Society |Writer Deagu City
These days we see many people raising animals in their homes as pets. Whilst there exists many responsible pet owners, there are as many abandoned animals – and the number is increasing.
Director Choi Jonga
KAPS registered as a non-profit organisation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in 1991 and became the country’s first animal protection society.
KAPS’ beginning was actually years earlier when Founder Sunnan Kum transformed her private property into an animal shelter after rescuing her first kitten from the street.
Today Jonga Choi is KAPS’ third director. KAPS today is still a non-government organisation and has two shelters accepting abandoned and stray cats and dogs. KAPS does not perform euthanasia and is a limited admission shelter.
I heard many non-Koreans also visit and adopt cats and dogs whom go on to become new family members. Elderly and sick animals also reside at the shelter, where they live out the rest of their lives cared for by KAPS staff.
The shelter is equipped with various items to create a cool environment in the summer and a warm environment in the winter. The shelter is divided into sections according to animal age and health status.
Treats are not in short supply and the staff work hard every day to create a clean environment.
The cats enjoy a warm environment and they clamour around the heaters for a nap.
Volunteers
Interested people gather at the shelter to do volunteer work, commune with like-minded people and share their affection for animals. The animals live here in safety without any knowledge of the people who care for them.
One visitor explained her motivation to begin volunteering with animals, “I have raised my own cat, and this taught me about the hardships that cats undergo. It affected me so much and I decided to volunteer.”
사진제공 = KAPS
A non-Korean couple who had adopted a cat the previous day said “We really love animals, so we wanted to adopt instead of purchasing from a shop. We found KAPS on Facebook and we decided to adopt from here.”
사진 제공 = KAPS
KAPS adoption procedure, very simply put, goes: application, approval, trial period and finally adoption.
For those whom wish to raise an animal, it seems adopting from KAPS does much greater good for our society and brings much greater love into your life than a purchase from the pet store.
I hope for my readers to discover a whole new world through an adoption from KAPS.
