Homeward Bound gives animals new beginnings

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Matthew Lancaster
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Volunteering for a good cause is an excellent way to present a professional and positive environment within a community. At Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, there are organizations on base that give these opportunities to service members, civilians, and their families. The Homeward Bound Osan Animal Shelter here is one of those groups by creating a chance for people to care for animals that don't have a home.

Homeward Bound Osan Animal Shelter is a non-profit, volunteer driven organization. Their main mission is to help find homes for the abandoned and relinquished animals of Osan AB, Camp Humphreys, and Kunsan AB. They provide a safe place for the animals to stay while they wait to be adopted by another family.

Being completely run by volunteers, the shelter presents the opportunity for Airmen, civilians and their families to offer their free time to help the shelter. Every one of all ages can volunteer after they have attended the training that is held at 1:30 p.m. on the second Saturday and fourth Sunday of the month. Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult when volunteering. Volunteers would have the choice to walk the dogs, feed and water the animals, clean cages, or give the animals a bath and then spend time playing with the animals.

"The volunteers play an important role to the shelter," said Tim Blake, Homeward Bound Osan Animal Shelter president. "They are how we manage to take care of the animals and keep the shelter going."

Jamie Faughn, Homeward Bound Osan Animal Shelter vice president says the shelter contributes to the welfare of the people at Osan.

"A lot of the young people here who live in the dorms cannot bring animals or their families with them and may get a little lonely," she said. "Volunteering is a positive thing that they can do on their time off to help with that loneliness rather than some of the other alternatives and it gives them an opportunity to give back to their community."

If someone cannot volunteer but still wants to assist they can donate food, money, animal care items, and gift cards. The shelter is funded by donations and relinquishment and adoption fees alone. The money raised is used to pay for medical care for the animals, food, and other pet accessories.

Anyone able and wanting to provide a good, long lasting home is welcome to adopt. To adopt an animal people would need to contact the shelter, fill out an adoption form, and pay an adoption fee.

"One of our main objectives is to make sure that animals are going to a home that is going to be permanent," said Blake. "We try to make sure the people adopting the animals intend to take them back to the states."

Blake believes that the animals create a positive environment by teaching people how to be more kind to one another.

"I think the greatest gifts animals give to people is that they teach us what unconditional love is all about," he said. "If we can learn that from animals we can apply that with people."

For more information about volunteering, donations or adopting an animal visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Homeward-Bound-Osan/290331451044312. They can also be contacted by email at osananimalshelter@gmail.com or call their president at 010-2341-4215 or their vice president at 010-4736-2645.

Offering ones free time and service to aid a righteous cause is seen as an honorable deed. Airmen at Osan helping care for stray animals are taking just a little bit of time to give back in a constructive way help to continue building a professional and positive environment on the base.