Help Dobbie Fly Home to His Family in the USA

I will be going to the Korean bank this week, probably on Friday, to see if I can open up a Korean bank account. I don't have an alien registration card since I am here as a US military spouse, so I am not sure if I can get one. If not, I have a friend with a Korean bank account who can accept the donations for me and then give me the money and reciepts. I will update on this issue Friday. :)

Oh and my great aunt and grandma in law sent out checks in the mail (I don't know how much yet). And a US Army family here is donating $50 cash. And a friend of mine here in my apartment complex is also donating some money when I see her this week (Also don't know how much). I will post when I officially get the money either in hand or deposited! :))))))

I have added my Korean bank information for if you would like to donate that way. I know most foreigners in Korea use a Korean bank, so I thought that having that would be a great option too. :)

And thanks Clare! We will be looking forward to your donation! :)

Thank you Chelsea P. for your $20 USD PayPal donation! First official donation I have received in my hand/one of the accounts!

Current total: $20 USD
Remaining donations needed: $890 USD

Just received a cash donation of $15 USD from my friend Lan P! Thanks girlie!

Total raised: $35 USD
Amount to go: $865 USD

And now a PayPal donation of $20 USD from Jenny L! Yippee!

Total raised: $55 USD
Still need: $845 USD

Awwww Jenny thanks! Every little bit helps! Good luck with your rescue! Hopefully you can find their owner or a new owner. :)

I just edited my Korean bank name and account number. Apparently I had the wrong account number and I just found out KB is also known as Kookmin Bank so that is that you may see on an ATM for the transfer!

Thanks Chris K. for your $40 USD PayPal donation! <3

Current total: $95 USD
Remaining needed : $805 USD

Clare, thank you! I am having trouble checking it online but I will stop by the bank to check my balance! :)

I just checked my KB account balance at the bank and I was delightfully surprised to see donations from 5 people (20K, 50K, 20K, 30K, and 25K won)! Total of 145,000 won in donations! So happy! All five of you rule!

Total donations: $95 USD + 145,000 SKW
Still need to reach goal: ~$680 USD

Just picked up a $40 cash donation from Jennifer W! Thank you girl!

Total donations: $135 USD + 145,000 won
Still need: ~$640 USD

My brother Steven E. just made a PayPal donation of $21 USD.

Total donations: $156 USD + 145,000 won
Still need: ~$619 USD

My Dad, Ernie E., just donated $100 via PayPal! Thanks Daddy! Love ya!

Total raised: $256 USD + 145,000 won
Amount still needed to reach goal: ~$519 USD

Just received a $50 cash donation from Sara M! Thanks so so so much!

I'll check my KB account tomorrow to see if there were any more donations! :)

Total raised: $306 + 145,000 won
Amount to go: ~$469

The foster family took him in on June 10th as I, the rescuer, could not foster him bc he was dominant aggressive with my Rottie-German Shepard and I did not want any blood shed on my hands between the two. It was quite a scary incident and I thought that it was too dangerous to have both my dog and Dobbie in the same home. The foster family and I have come to realize that Dobbie is only dominant aggressive with dogs his size but fantastic with humans and small dogs. Other than that he is absolutely perfect. They leave Korea on July 19th since her husband is getting stationed at Ft. Drum, NY. That left them with only 1 month and 9 days since the day that started fostering him to save money to fly him home (which they didn't decide on keeping him until about July 1st). Her husband is an E-3 which only pays about $1700 per month and they are living off one income. They have only saved for her ticket to Ft. Drum since they are not command sponsored and the US Army is not paying for her flight to Ft. Drum. They only decided about a week and a half ago, July 1st, that they would like to adopt him. That left them with VERY LITTLE time (about 19 days from decision to adopt until they day they fly) to save enough money for Dobbie as well. They, along with myself, her family, and a few donations from friends have helped pay for his basic vet care. They ARE contributing financially to this dog's health and not relying solely on donations to care for him. We honestly thought he would find a new foster or forever home before they left. The only option after they left, if not adopting him, would have been to take him to a Korean shelter, since we can't find another long term foster family or forever family. And honestly, a doberman pinscher in a Korean shelter would not stand a chance of being adopted nor cared for correctly. Even many Americans are scared of this breed just bc of the negative stigma associated with them (aggressive, mean, scary, fighting dog, etc.). So trying to find him a forever home here in Korea, where most Koreans are scared of any dog over 20lbs as it is, will be nearly impossible. Not to mention any US Army families are hesitant to adopt a doberman pinscher bc they are restricted on all US Army posts back in the United States. The current foster (future adoptive) family has given Dobbie more love and care than any shelter would. They are an absolutely perfect match. If they had an extra $900 saved up they would pay for his ticket to Ft. Drum themselves but 19 days, or even the 1 month and 19 days they will have him here in Korea, is not nearly enough time to save up $900 to fly him home. If we do not make the $900 goal but get close we will find a way to pay for that difference, somehow. Even if they did not want to adopt him, I have been in contact with a doberman pinscher rescue group in California that is willing to take him in so long as I figure out a way to pay for his trip there. So either way, whether they adopt or not, I would still like him to get to the states where he will live a much happier life than here in Korea in a shelter where he would be feared and never walked or even euthanized or jumping from foster to foster. But I think that keeping Dobbie with the loving family that he already has is the BEST option for him. If you would like to speak to the foster family I am sure they would be willing to explain their financial situation to you. If you do not feel that this is a circumstance worth donating to, then you do not have to. We are just trying to help this animal that was clearly abandoned by his original owners. He deserves it! :) Thank you!

Thank you LotusLee! Yes, most military families here live on one income as the on-post jobs are VERY limited. And even if a military spouse were to want to get a job off-post, like as an English teacher, they would have to leave the country to get their correct, required visa, and then come back. I know bc I looked into it. So most US military families live on one income, which people think is awesome, but it really isn't as awesome as you would think. And the reason why I, the rescuer, am doing most of the work for this fundraiser, is bc they are VERY busy with all of their clearing stuff they are required to do before flying out next week. I also did not want to just dump Dobbie on to them and leave him as their problem. I chose to rescue him off the street which means I feel like I need to see him out to the end (with his forever family). Again, if anyone thinks this isn't a cause worth donating to, then you do not have to. And I would totally have continued to foster him but I seriously thought Dobbie was going to rip my dog Rufus's jugular out the second day that I had him. It was so scary and I couldn't even break them up bc they are both really big. But other than Dobbie being dominant aggressive with dogs his size, he is so amazing! I'm actually a little jealous that my dog Rufus doesn't have some of the wonderful behaviors that Dobbie has (like being the BEST leash walker ever)!

No problem. :)

Wow! You go girl! Keep up all the awesome work though! Sometimes I wish I was a vet myself bc I would be doing so many free services! :)

Just checked the mail and was delighted to receive a $50 donation from My inlaw Nanny and PawPaw as well as a $25 donation from my Great Aunt Linda. I've been so busy this week I haven't had a chance to check for new deposits in my KB account. I will try to do that this evening if the bank is still open. I don't think I have online banking bc I've tried several times to check online and it hasn't worked for me. :(

Total raised: $381 USD + 145,000 won
Need to reach our goal: ~$394 USD

$20 was just donated by Shena W!

Total: $401 + 145,000 won

To go: ~$374

I was finally able to check my KB balance today. Four separate donations were made since I last checked my account on July 4th. 70k, 20k, 10k, and 30k! Thank you do so so much to the four of you.

Total: $401 + 275,000 won = ~$641
Total to go: ~$259

We just received a $30 paypal donation from my goof friend Sophie H! Thank you Sophie!

Total: $431 + 275,000 won

Amount to go: ~$229

On a side note, I submitted his Petsafe form to United a few minutes ago to book his flight for the 29th. Hope to hear from them soon! :)

And we will be going to pick up his giant sized airline approved travel kennel the the Four Seasons at Yongsan Army Post on Thursday. It is $179. Same price as what United quoted us, but $1 cheaper and NO TAX! Plus it will probably be much easier to have the travel kennel prior to arriving at the airport. Also, he will have a chance to get used to it too.

My friend Shena and I went to Four Seasons in Yongsan today to get Dobbie's airline approved travel kennel! We took the train home and they almost wouldn't let us take it on the train...but we begged and they let us on! Boy oh boy it was quite a journey...squeezing in tiny elevators and making transfers. But we made it back and were able to assemble the kennel! Yippee!

OMIGOODNESS! i must have overlooked two important PayPal donations!

$200 (our BIGGEST donation) from Michael H on July 3rd!
$10 from Jordan S. on July 7th!

Thank you two so so so much!

So here is a more detailed donation breakdown:

PayPal ($441)
7/3 $200 Michael H.
7/4 $20 Chelsea P.
7/5 $20 Jenny L.
7/5 $40 Chris K.
7/5 $21 Steven E.
7/7 $100 Ernie E.
7/10 $10 Jordan S.
7/16 $30 Sophie H.

Check ($75)
7/13 $50 Nanny + PawPaw
7/16 $25 Aunt Linda G.

Cash ($125)
7/5 $15 Lan P.
7/6 $40 Jennifer W.
7/10 $50 Sara M.
7/16 $20 Shena W.

Won (275,000 won->$233.64 when I exchanged it on 7/17)
*i am not listing the names that are listed in my bank booklet bc i am not sure if that would be a privacy issue with banking*
7/5 20K
7/5 50K
7/6 20K
7/6 30K
7/6 25K
7/7 70K
7/9 20K
7/12 10K
7/17 30K

all together
$441 Paypal
$75 Check
$125 Cash
$233.64 -> 145,000 KB (won)
$874.64 GRAND TOTAL

If we can meet the $900 goal before the end of tonight, Thursday 7/19, that would be awesome! I will check my KB account again tomorrow and see if there are any won donations. I will call the fundraiser off after tonight and give one last update on donations tomorrow evening. And of course I will share the totals spent as well once I get a final total of everything spent (keeping as close to the estimate given in the beginning). If there is by any chance extra donation money I will donate it to a local animal shelter (probably Yangju).

THANK YOU AGAIN EVERYONE!

Yes! I must have never received an e-mail about Michael H. or Jordan S.'s donation or deleted it by mistake. And I didn't even see it until today when I was looking at it on the computer (bc usually I just do PayPal on my phone). I am SO glad that I checked so that I could thank them on both this page and on the Facebook page I made as well.

Oh and just to let everyone know the Alvarez's flight got pushed back to the 23rd instead of today, the 19th. But they already cleared out of their apartment so Dobbie is with his foster family until he leaves on the 29th. The Alvarez's are visiting him several times a day until they leave though.

Here is also a pic of him inside his new kennel. He says that he is all ready to fly to America! :)

On Saturday $25.36 was Paypaled by my friend Charlotte H. Last night to reach our exact goal of $900 to send Dobbie home to his family in the USA! This has been by far one of te most awesome experiences ever and I thank each and every person who has helped with this fundraiser! I will continue to post until Dobbie makes it safe and sound in their arms in Philly!

So the fundraising is officially over. Now to finalize the flight for Dobbie with Petsafe/United. Boy oh, boy this is the complicated part bc they are so hard to get in contact with.

I am completely upset with Petsafe/United. They gave us INCORRECT information earlier this month and now they say they can't fly Dobbie for $450 as unaccompanied baggage/cargo bc he is not flying with his PCSing sponsor. Before they told me he COULD fly WITH or WITHOUT his sponsor bc his weight/kennel size meant that he couldn't qualify for the military exception policy as accompanied baggage (under 100lbs) and that we would just pay the regular rate of $450. Now they are telling me I can't book with them at all and I have to book through a freight cargo company who is telling me it is 3,000,000 won. I e-mailed Petsafe/United demanding answers as to why I was given the incorrect information and that based off their INCORRECT information they gave us, we made a decision to fly Dobbie AFTER his family to give them time to get an apartment. Had we known that we would only have gotten the $450 rate only if he flew with his family we would have done it that way instead. Now we are currently looking for a family PCSing from Korea to Philadelphia or Ft. Drum area to be his courier so we can at least get the $450 rate. Or hoping that Petsafe/United gets back to me and makes some sort of exception for their stupidity.

I am thrilled to announce that Dobbie is booked on a 4:45pm United/Petsafe flight to JFK on Thursday, August 23rd with a layover in San Fransisco and will be arriving at JFK in the wee hours of the morning the following day. A military PCSing family, friends of the Alvarez's, were able to be his courier to get the 449,310 won rate that Petsafe originally quoted us. He will be arriving at Incheon airport in style in an AAFES taxi van that has already been reserved for an 11am pick up from his foster family's location. Woohoo! Next week we will get his health certificate from the vet and get him all prepared to fly home! :) After all this mess with Petsafe/United giving me incorrect information, I am SO SO happy that things are finally working out. <3

Today I got Dobbie's health and rabies certificate from the vet so that he can fly next Thursday!  Yay! Less than one week and he will be home!  :)

Dobbie is officially headed to the airport. He is enjoying his ride in the taxi van. He loves looking out the back window. I'll post photos later! So excited! :)