Thursday 2 February 2012

How a little white dog found a forever home.

Here is a story that you already know the happy ending to but perhaps you didn't know the beginning. It's a little sad but I'll try to focus on the positives. It's the story of how little B became part of the Lee family.

My husband and I used to volunteer regularly at the local city animal shelter.   There are hundreds of dogs in the shelter, most of them small breeds because they are the most popular in Korea. The animals are dirty, stinky, stressed and in poor health. Although the shelter provide them with food, and somewhere to sleep, they are mostly caged, get no interactions with humans and desperately need a walk and some attention. So we visit to give them just that.

Pick me!

Walking in the snow
Not Bunja, just one of hundreds that look like him


I love ya, but get off my head bro.
Love to play outside 

One of my favourites on the left. He had no teeth so he always appreciated the soft food I'd bring. 

 One day while we were visiting the shelter, we were about to go and I said, "Let's just walk a couple more dogs from the last room." I pulled out a little white dog and a bigger dog who were sharing a small cage together. We took them out on the grass and played with them. I gave the little white dog a doggie sausage snack and he INHALED it, which made me laugh. Immediately, my husband was completely smitten with the little white dog. "Let's adopt this one!" he said.

Although I desperately wanted a dog again, I was very skeptical. This dog had not been at the shelter long. Although he was dirty, he was not completely filthy like most of the other dogs. I assumed someone was surely going to be looking for him and so we shouldn't worry. Also, he was a Maltese, and I had never wanted a Maltese dog because the stereotype I had in my mind was that they were stupid, anxious and barked too much.

Anxious? My stereotype may have been a little off.

The next day, my husband kept talking about the dog. I told him to at least call the shelter and find out his background story. The shelter said, a woman had brought in the dog because she found him hanging around her apartment building for a few days. He had no collar or ID. She felt sorry for him and took him in. She put up fliers around the building and nearby streets with his picture, but no one called her. After a few days, she took him to the shelter. I suspect she gave him a bath which explains why he was relatively clean.

All of the dogs in the shelter get their picture published on a website, so if anyone is missing a dog, they can search and find them there. After two weeks, if noone one claims them, they can be adopted.

The next day, when I turned on my computer, I saw a picture of this little white dog as my desktop background screen with a speech bubble saying "Hi Mummy" (My husband had downloaded the picture from the website). This, of course, pushed me over the edge. "Ok" I said. "Go to the shelter and bring him back, so we can at least foster him so that he doesn't get sick until his owners claim him."

I had to work, so my husband went alone to pick up the little white dog. Two more nights in the shelter had taken their toll, he was filthy and reeked by now and had weeping eyes. My husband still remembers how, during the drive home, the little white dog crawled over to him, curled up on his lap and slept all the way there.

Obviously, no one ever came looking for that little white dog and he became Bunja, the best thing my husband ever convinced me to do.  

You guys didn't choose me, I chose you!


This picture was taken the day after we picked him up from the shelter. He had eye infections,  ear infections and dental problems but was luckily clear of heart worm.




Lookin' fresh!
First bath


I think this place might do.


Are you my new Daddy?

Settling in quickly.


We used to often wonder how he ended up on the street. He is not scared of people (except loud or drunk older men), so he must have been loved and treated well at some point. He used to always seem to be excited when he saw young Korean women with long hair. Was he owned by someone who moved away? Maybe they left him with someone who soon dumped him? Did someone purposefully "lose" him even though he was loved by another family member? We stop wondering now. As my husband put it "Whoever dumped Bunja is the stupidest and most unpleasant person in the world...and we are the luckiest."


P.S. If Bunja's story has inspired you to help those animals whose future does not seem as bright - see my links for animal shelter websites or suggest any links of your own in the comments! Even if you can't adopt a pet, you can certainly help more than you know by donating or simply visiting to give some animals the joy of your attention.


The shelter where we adopted Bunja: http://djani.daejeon.go.kr/main.do
(copy and paste link in brower to activate)

Links to volunteer groups and pets for adoption in Korea: http://www.animalrescuekorea.org/

Rescue animals in Australia: http://www.petrescue.com.au/

In Japan: http://www.arkbark.net/?q=en/node/75




24 comments:

  1. Lovely post!! I adopted my little dog too! We are from Brazil and nowadays we are living in Boston! I loke Bunja's pictures and I'm sure I will love his histories too!!!

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    1. Thank you for checking out my blog. I'm glad you like it and that you also have a special furry friend in your life ^_^

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  2. Thats such a beautiful story! And I had no idea Bunja was from animalrescue Korea! I've been on that website and each time it moves my heart! I'm really hoping to go up there to volunteer in the next couple weeks. Have you ever been to the Asan one?

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    1. He is actually from the second link (you have to copy and paste it to make it work). It's the local city shelter in Daejeon and that's also where I volunteered. I haven't been to Asan but my friend was very involved with that shelter and ARK before she went back to Canada.

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    2. I just updated that to make it more clear. Good luck volunteering at Asan! You might end up falling in love...

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    3. Thanks! :) I'm actually quite afraid of falling in love!! I don't know how I'm going to leave the place without taking one home with me! Maybe Joy might like a friend... or just get super jealous :P

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  3. I loved knowing Bunja's life story! I'm from Brazil and I follow you on Instagram. I love Bunja's pictures and I had to know your blog! I have a Maltese too and I want to thank you for share your beautiful story with us!

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    1. You're welcome! Thanks for reading my blog. I hope you enjoy my future posts too. What is your instragram Id?

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    2. My instagram Id is @talitanovais
      I'm sure I'll enjoy your future posts! Thanks! =)

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  4. I honestly had tears come to my eyes when I read this. I think part of why we all love following you and Bunja so much is that you really get across the true joy that he brings to your lives. I have wanted to adopt a dog for years now, and I hope to be able to do just that when I buy a home (whenever that may be!). At the very least, you have inspired me to visit some options about volunteering in a shelter.

    Bunja is lucky to have such a loving family, and you are just as lucky to have him :)

    Thank you so much for your story, Kristie!

    Meghan

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    1. That's great! Volunteering is tough emotionally but if you can put your feelings aside and focus on what you can do (not what you can't) then it can be very rewarding. I'm glad you are considering trying it out!

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  5. I am so glad you started a blog- I am obsessed with Bunja on Instagram... as my husband is well aware :) What a lucky dog he ended up being, getting you guys as his parents! I have a little half maltese half shih tzu, who we love more than anything! Thank you for sharing this story and encouraging people to adopt and volunteer at shelters!

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    1. Thank you for your kind comments. What is your instagram ID? We were the lucky ones to get him as our dog. I can't imagine life without Bunja now!

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    2. I am mariahj29 on instagram. We just read your latest post, and some of his hairstyles were too funny! What a sweet little boy to put up with all that :)

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  6. I really enjoyed the story of how you guys adopted Bunja. Truly inspiring. I think if I worked at the shelters in Korea I would have a house full of dogs.

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    1. Yeh, that is the hardest thing. Leaving and knowing what will likely happen to most of the dogs there and honestly, it makes it hard to visit in the first place. We will adopt another dog either here or in Australia when the time is right. I want Bunja to settle down with a wife one day...

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  7. p.s. this is where we adopted musashi from!

    adoption site for japan:: http://www.arkbark.net/?q=en/node/75

    xx, zhing

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    1. Thank you! I will add it to my list of links!

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    2. Oh I just found your blog. It's so lovely!!

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  8. Sad story with a great ending! It breaks my heart to think that there are dogs as good and as cute as Bunja being abandoned. That picture of all the doggies is so sad. Thank you for sharing, I'm off to give Poppy a hug and a kiss. xxx

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    1. Yeh, it's very sad. I tried to only put the happier pictures on up because I didn't want to overwhelm people with despair! Thanks for all your support as always ^_^ Give Poppy a kiss for me too!

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  9. Wow, what a sad yet wonderful story! I believe in fate and B was always meant to be a Lee ;-) you've inspired me to blog about how I got my little Malibu ;-) btw, love your blog!!!

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  10. Wonderful story! I follow Bunja on Instagram and have a Maltese-Shihtzu of my own. My husband felt the same as you about getting a small dog but now he loves Murphy to pieces. They are such loving little dogs.

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  11. Bunja is a really cute dog. I have six dogs, one was adopted, three of them were rescued, one was given away so my we took her in, and my last one, i bought him from a breeder. I'm glad you adopted Bunja, he is really cute. I have always wanted a Maltese, however, I have two Maltipoos and I am very satisfied.

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