Daegu’s Benevolent Heart: Volunteering at Hannah Shelter (Animals)
When my friend mentioned helping at an animal shelter (mainly dogs, but they do have some cats), I was more than excited to volunteer!! Especially with as many as 300 abandoned animals at the shelter!
Hannah Shelter is privately owned by Ms Shim and has been daily operated by her for 17 years now. Teams of hard-working volunteers and generous supporters do come and go providing much needed facility work, animal care, supplies, and financial support. I am glad to have been a part of that legacy (if only for a couple of hours), and do plan to return there regularly. Would you like to visit too?
Hannah Shelter is a “no kill” shelter located just short of the Palgongsan Natural Park and the Donghwasa Temple. It is tucked away on a stony hillside similar to cliffside caverns you might see in the southwest USA. But instead of caves, it’s kennel enclosures. Note: It is best not to drive large vehicles to Hannah Shelter as it is only accessible via a steep, narrow road. And still tricky to find even with a successful plot on your Navigation App. Efforts are currently underway to downsize the facility footprint to be in compliance with local government code. Your help is certainly valued. So much work to do!
There are many jobs to do at Hannah Shelter that help Ms Shim with daily chores, renovation efforts, and specialized animal care. If you have a heart for animals or compassion for one Korean woman’s cause, please consider how you can help. If you have veterinarian or grooming skills that you are willing to donate, certainly please contact Hannah Shelter or Friends of Hannah Shelter to coordinate a visit.
There are many missions: move donated dog food into storage areas, walk dogs, clean areas, pet dogs!
When you come, bring your own water, gloves, sunglasses/sunscreen/hat, sanitizer, and bug repellant. Wear protective clothing and clothes you are willing to get dirty. Wear sturdy work books if you have them, or old tennis shoes you are willing to throw out if you step in too many “presents.” Dogs bark, jump, scratch (by accident), and steal your heart…so bring your best calm when you visit.
Best jobs: find shy dogs and say hello to them, be a hero and feed all the dogs, find brand new puppies (there were many in this bucket), pet a puppy until he falls asleep!
Another note: Everyone is there to assist the shelter, so it might require some discussion before each mission to decide how best to utilize volunteers in that moment. Pet a doggie while you wait for instructions!
Many dogs are available for LOCAL or INTERNATIONAL adoption. Big dogs and little dogs– happy to be off the streets…but happier to go to a forever home! Contact Hannah Shelter for adoption procedures.
Recently, Hannah Shelter successfully obtained 223,335 signatures (as of 8 June 2018) on a Presidential petition desiring to bring awareness to the rescue efforts of Hannah Shelter in the face of many operational compliance challenges. This is an incredible show of support for Hannah Shelter!
If you are interested in helping Hannah Shelter, please follow FOLLOW Friends of Hannah Shelter on Facebook (facebook.com/groups/friendsofhannahshelter)
169 Dohak-dong, Dong-gu, Daegu
