Across an ocean, three women are working together to save the lives of neglected, abandoned and abused pugs. Their nonprofit organization, Pug Rescue of Korea, ships dozens of the smushed-faced dogs from South Korea to their forever homes in the United States.
Korean native Hye Sook Kim, the founder of the organization and a passionate pug rescuer, adopted her own pugs from a shelter for stray dogs. Quickly gaining an affinity for the little creatures, in 2009 she began trying to find homes in Korea for pugs in need, but had a difficult time finding enough homes for the ongoing number of pugs.
Thanks to the wonders of the internet, Los Angeles-based Happy Angels Dog Rescue heard about what Kim was trying to do. The dog rescue reached out to her and asked if she would be able to send pugs she rescues in South Korea to Los Angeles to be adopted.
“I thought what a jackpot,” Kim said in an online message to the Signal Tribune. “[…] I was so happy to get the suggestion. That was the start.”
After Happy Angels Dog Rescue stopped operating in 2013, the new “pawrents” of pugs that had been rescued by Kim wanted to continue the mission of rehoming pugs from South Korea in the U.S.
Kim currently has two helpers in Long Beach: pug enthusiasts Melody Chalaban and Jinny Chi.
“You see how much you’re helping these dogs who are neglected or abandoned or sometimes abused,” Chalaban said of volunteering with Pug Rescue of Korea. “And then when you see them with their new adoptive families, it’s very, very rewarding. And that’s actually what motivates our rescue in Korea.”
Chalaban, who oversees adoptions and marketing for the nonprofit, adopted her pug Gumbo through Happy Angels Dog Rescue after he was saved by Kim. Chalaban has been volunteering with Pug Rescue of Korea since 2018.
(Pictured left) Melody Chalaban sits with her two pugs, Reggies (black) and Gumbo (fawn) on Feb. 21, 2024. Chalaban rescued them and gave them forever homes, prompting her to learn about and work with Pug Rescue of Korea. (Pictured right) Jinny Chi withholds a treat until both Nori and Peanut are able to sit down in anticipation outside the LBX Hanger on Feb. 21, 2024. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)
As Chalaban spoke to the Signal Tribune on Feb. 13, her pug Gumbo laid safe and snug in her lap. Before he was rescued and adopted in 2014, Gumbo was in a more precarious situation, stuffed in a cage waiting outside a meat market in Korea.
Chalaban emphasized that it was not common for Koreans to eat dog meat and that it is only done by a small percentage of older generations, with the South Korean government recently passing legislation to ban the practice.
However, it is all too common for dogs to be abandoned in Korea. The Korean Animal Welfare Association found that around 135,000 pets are abandoned in Korea annually. Chalaban attributed this to pet ownership being relatively new to Korean culture, and said that many pet buyers don’t realize the work it takes to care of a pet, and don’t consider them to be a member of their family.
Korean media outlets, such as The Korea Herald, have identified that the low legal barriers to purchase dogs, irresponsible buying and over-breeding are also factors that contribute to South Korea’s high rate of abandoned dogs.
Pug Rescue of Korea brought 76 pugs to the U.S. in 2023, and 53 pugs in 2022. Chalaban said the nonprofit rescues an average of 60 to 80 pugs each year. It costs at least $1,000 to fly each pug from South Korea to LAX, and the nonprofit relies entirely on donations.
They’re also working on an annual deadline. In May of each year, airlines place an embargo on flat-faced dogs traveling in their plane’s cargo holds in order to mitigate the risk of them overheating. Only pugs small enough to fit in a carrier under a seat can travel by air after the cut-off.
This severely limits the amount of pugs that Kim can send to the U.S., and all three members of the nonprofit hustle to get as many pugs rehomed as possible before the May deadline.
Adoption fees range for the pugs based on their age, ranging from a fee of $700 for pugs under a year old to $350 for pugs six years and older. There is also a shipping fee of $600 for pugs that fly in through LAX, or $1,000 to $1,500 for pugs flown to the JFK airport on the east coast. Adoption fees are tax deductible.
To learn more about Pug Rescue of Korea or make a donation visit pugrescueofkorea.org. To see photos of pugs that are available for adoption, visit the nonprofit’s Instagram page @pugrescueofkorea.
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