Animal Rescue Korea closing September 1st

Seven years ago this week I flew from Incheon to Toronto with my husband, our dog, and our last Korean foster dog, Scruffy. After seven years of teaching English, we'd just spent a good part of our last week in Daejeon volunteering at Mrs. Jung's first private shelter. We donated our blankets and a laundry machine as we vacated our apartment in Gwanjeo-dong. This website-- not yet named ARK-- was just over one year old and I worried about how it would continue. But the number of people interested in helping animals in Korea only kept growing, and the website grew along with it. Still, every time an awesome foster parent or shelter trip coordinator left Korea, I would have the same worry: Who would fill their place? And each time I learned that even though no one can really replace that person, at the same time, whenever there is a void, someone new arrives and fills it with their own special qualities. After more than 8 years of managing this website, it's time for me, too, to let go and focus on projects closer to home. Managing the site from so far away has only gotten harder over time. It's become increasingly difficult for me to stay in touch and up-to-date with the needs of rescuers and volunteers in Korea, so I've decided to slowly retire the animalrescuekorea.org website. However, I have no doubt that something great will come along to fill the void. As of today, registration is closed. No new adoption listings or content other than comments can be created. UPDATED: From August 1st August 31st, adoption listings will no longer be editable. All listings will expire 30 days after that. From September 1st, the adoption listings will be permanently closed. I will gradually be moving and removing content over the next couple weeks. I have not yet decided how much will remain accessible in a read-only archive after September. Articles, vet clinics, and links will remain accessible until the end of the year. Many thanks to all the rescuers, shelter volunteers, foster parents, animal lovers, writers and photographers who have contributed content to ARK over all its years. Thank you for sharing your devotion to animals through this site. Without you, ARK would not have grown into the success it has. Together we have helped over 2,200 animals find forever homes (and countless foster homes), helped Korean animal shelters find new volunteers, helped families travel safely back to their home countries with their animal companions, and so much more. I am humbled and inspired by your work. I wish all of you the very best in your endeavours to continue helping animals in Korea, or anywhere else you may find yourself living in the future. With sincere gratitude, Karen Busch