Hollywood comedienne and actress Awkwafina can now add certified paw-parent to her resume after adopting a new four-legged companion who came to her from an extraordinary place.
In an Instagram post, the 32-year-old Crazy Rich Asians star introduced to her fans Haeng-Un Lum, a two-year-old rescue dog who became the newest member of her family. The actress proceeds to share how she crossed paths with the pup through Korean K9 Rescue (KK9R), a nonprofit organization located in her hometown of Queens.
Gina Boehler is the force behind Korean K9 Rescue, which she founded in 2017. Its mission is to rescue canines from her native South Korea and transporting them to New York City for possible fostering and adoption, where the strays could have a better chance of landing forever homes. Each year, KK9R rescues and places more than 1,200 dogs with different families. The organization has a network of volunteers in Korea who coordinate directly with farmers and shelter owners. After they rescue and secure these animals, they bring them to KK9R facilities for quarantine and examination.
In an interview with Daily Paws, Boehler shares the process of their operations. The dogs enter their Bundang, Korea facility for a minimum of 30 days before they fly them out to the United States for adoption. According to her, their stay would be on a case-to-case basis and is entirely dependent on the dogâs needs. If they have health issues or require extended rehabilitation training with their trainers, they usually stay a lot longer in the facility.
After which, their staff would assess each canine to check if they need more time to decompress or tutoring in their training skills, like walking with a leash, for example. And should they need extensive medical attention or more time to recuperate away from other animals, the organization would also allow that.
Boehler says they provide their canines with structure, routine, and a consistent schedule that permits them to feel safe and get used to the people handling them. She added that their South Korea KK9R rescue location is state-of-the-art – perhaps the most modern in the country. According to her, all four-legged wards are housed in a modern, climate-controlled area with healthy, high-quality food.
However, their mission doesnât end as soon as the canines arrive in the States. KK9Râs volunteers, probable foster parents, and adoption applicants are provided with training and support in preparation for the task that comes with looking after dogs who came from traumatic and stressful predicaments. Boehler adds that KK9R New York attends at least two seminars or workshops facilitated by specialized trainers who rehabilitate fearful and feral canines each year.
An extended period of adjustment is needed when you adopt a dog, mainly if you are doing it for the first time. And after going through a challenging phase in their short lives, these pups would require steady and supportive hands. Boehler said that most of their canines have never thrived indoors with humans, particularly not in a constantly busy city like New York. Most of them tend to become feral due to lack of socialization, which results in difficulty in acclimating to human beings.
Boehler expands that the training into the early days of placing these dogs in a new home has been essential in setting them up successfully. She also expressed her feeling of pride with their adopters and trainers for all the hard work they put into this initiative.
Initially, the KK9R fosters and adopts canines exclusively in the New York metro area. But in February this year, they widened their adoption radius to the Westchester and Dutchess counties in NYC and Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington D.C. The organization is still hoping for more expansion in the future since their dogs require special treatment. And Boehler wants to ensure that their program would progress appropriately.
She said that KK9R is a firm believer in foster-based adoptions. According to her, they want to create a foster network in several cities first before they expand. They are also hoping to grow their rescue responsibly and develop education and awareness in their mission.
And as her contribution, Awkwafina is more than glad to help spread awareness in KK9Râs objectives through her participation. She is happy to report that Haeng-Un Lum is pleased in her company and is having a blast with Gus, her beloved cat.
Boehler describes the actress as a genuinely compassionate person. She said that her choice to adopt a Korean dog in New York created a powerful impact, particularly among her fans who have been aware of the actressâs passion for charity and nonprofit groups. Through this, Boehler hopes that the attention can move KK9Râs mission forward and help bring more of these remarkable canines to the United States for a better and happier life.
Source: AWKWAFINA / Instagram