Party for Busan Abandoned Pet Shelter

A month-long campaign to save a closure-threatened Busan animal shelter is to continue with a beach fun day this weekend.

The Busan Abandoned Pet Shelter is in danger of closing because the lease for its current premises is not being renewed. The shelter’s canine residents face the prospect of homelessness again if a new building is not found by August.

Koreans and foreigners have helped keep the center running since Busan residents Leo Mendoza and Shin Jin Young took over the run-down shelter in 2008. Now, animal-lovers in the area are raising cash to keep a roof over the abandoned pets’ heads. The owners are currently seeking a new location for the shelter, and a host of fund-raisers are underway in the city to pay for the move.

A family fun weekend on the city’s Haeudae Beach is to be held on Saturday from 3-6 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at the end of the beach closest to Gecko’s bar. The event will feature dog and owner crufts event and free vet counseling as well as a second hand sale, face painting and a volleyball tournament.

A charity pool competition will be also held on Saturday from 6:30-9 p.m. with a bottle of tequila as the top prize. Proceeds raised from the minimum 5,000 won entrance fee will go toward saving the shelter.

Fund-raising events in the city last weekend raised 3.6 million for the shelter.

(sharing@heraldcorp.com)