August 12, 2023: The Fire ONE YEAR MEMORIAL.
Today marks one year since the fire. On August 12th 2022, we suffered a devastating fire that ripped apart our foster home and ripped apart our hearts taking 20 precious, innocent babies from us. There is not a day that goes by that we don’t think about those angels and there is never a dry eye when we talk about how beautiful their souls were. We see them in every dog we rescue and we feel them wherever we go. Here we stand one year ago to that date with the memories of sadness but also the present of how big our family really is. All of you who donated, supported us, encouraged us, wrote emails, messages, sent gifts, said prayers, sent positive vibes, lifted our hopes and spirits up and kept us going…is the reason why we are here standing, strong. The amount of love and compassion we received during that time is something we could never put into words. You have all become part of our rebuild, our family, our rocks and it is all because of you we rebuilt the foster home from scratch and kept going. We were unsure how to bounce back from all that grief and loss but we did, and it took a village and every single one of you are part of that. Thank you for being a part of our story and thank you for continuing to support our rescue. Today and everyday goes out to our angels that we lost. We know they are looking down on us and rooting for every baby that gets rescued and smiling big for ever baby that goes home 🙏🏽. RIP 🌈🤍🕊️🕯️ SWEET SOULS
August 12, 2022: The Fire
On Friday, August 12th, our foster facility in Gimhae, South Korea burned to the ground in a devastating fire, a heartbreak unlike anything we have experienced as a rescue.
Before that day, we had more than 100 dogs and puppies in our care. 20 did not survive the fire (pictured). We are devastated beyond words at their loss and haven’t fully recovered though we’ve immediately jumped into rebuilding. (The cause of the fire is under investigation.)
Our entire team is in shock, reeling, but we have immediately gone to work to care for our survivors and rebuild our rescue. Our medical bills are massive as dogs were suffering from burns, smoke inhalation, and other injuries they received as they escaped the building. And a handful of terrified dogs were missing, including one so terrified he hid for 10 days. We conducted a massive search effort, including traps and drone surveillance, to safely recapture them since nearby slaughterhouses risked their safety.
Now, all our dogs are currently housed with fosters and in a boarding facility, though this situation is not ideal for long-term care.
Rebuilding our shelter is estimated to be $200,000+. We are fundraising for boarding costs and veterinary expenses.
Help us heal our injured, care for our survivors, and rebuild our rescue.
We lost all of our supplies, all of our food, and all of our vet records in the blaze. Our 24/7 caretaker, the dogs’ foster mom, lived at our facility and while she is safe, she lost all of her possessions and her home.
All of our fundraising goes directly to the mission.
It will be used to rebuild our shelter, feed the surviving dogs, pay for veterinary expenses, and purchase new supplies like bowls and beds. Again, all supplies and the building completely burned and we have nothing. We have to buy food, bowls, beds, leashes, everything you can think of.
OUR PLAN:
- Secure temporary housing for the survivors
Done; they are at a boarding facility but this is not ideal and we need to rebuild ASAP; we are currently disputing payment with insurance but have authorized cleanup and some basic structural work. - Pay for veterinary expenses
In progress. These are ongoing as we battle burns and secondary infections. 4 of our most serious dogs are a special facility with our foster mom so they can receive round-the-clock care. - Replenish all food and supplies
In progress; more to come as we have a facility where we can store things. The hardest challenge has been vet records for our dogs who are adopted and flying to their new homes! - Then, rebuild the facility as soon as possible
We desperately need your support to overcome this tragedy!
Please help us in any way you can ~ we have so many more lives to save in continuing our mission and right now, our dogs need your help more than ever!
Thank you for your support.
It means more than we can possibly say.
