Meet Kallie, Our New Foster Coordinator
With Mel Mort leaving Korea for her next adventure, Kallie Landry will be taking over as our Foster Coordinator in Korea.
Kallie first got involved with Pug Rescue of Korea in February 2020 and, since then, has dived head first into first fostering and now coordinating foster families for our new rescues. Thank you Kallie and a big snorty, puggy welcome to the team!
How did you get involved with PRK?
I initially got involved with Pug Rescue of Korea as a foster after seeing Mamba on Camp Humphreys pet page. We thought we were just going to help with fostering and when I brought Mamba home the first words out of my husband’s mouth were, “We are keeping him.” We have never looked back since then and have shared our home with up to ten dogs at a time, giving them the love and attention they need until they can be moved to the States to their forever homes.
Tell us about your own dogs.
Currently I have three pups of my own. Two of them are pugs I adopted from Pug Rescue of Korea; their names are Mamba and Piper. Mamba is my big “Fat Boy” male, and he is a little over a year. Piper is a “Little Miss Attitude” female approaching a year old. Finally, as with all households it would not be prudent to not have the “Red Headed Stepchild” pup, and that is Chewy, an eight-month-old Shi Tzu. We rescued him on our own through a posting we saw at our local vet.
What dogs have you fostered for us (if it's possible to list all of them!)?
I have fostered and helped rescue many sweet pugs through Pug Rescue of Korea. Of the ones I can remember, I count 17 pups: Bugs (now Bagel), Sweet Pea (now Soju), Lady Bug (Lady), Blaze, Poppy (now Delilah), Hendrix, River, Mochi, Raisin, Bentley, Enzo, Olive, Kiwi, Ginger, Stevie (Bravo), Brody and Luna.
In addition to the pugs, my husband and I have also rescued and rehomed:
1 English Bulldog Meatball
3 mixed breed newborn pups: Bee Bee, Rose and Poe
2 French Bulldogs: Tug and one yet to be named (as of 18 Dec)
1 calico kitten, who my husband refused to name for fear of us keeping her
Favorite thing about working with PRK?
The greatest feeling working with Pug Rescue of Korea comes from knowing that these beautiful pups are being rescued from kill shelters and families that surrender them for little to no reason at all. I also like the fact that Pug Rescue of Korea rescues pugs from all parts of Korea as opposed to a smaller, local area.
Favorite thing about fostering?
The best thing about fostering is getting to experience the many personalities of all the pups. They are unique in their own special ways, and it has also helped me to learn life lessons such as patience and perseverance for a cause that is greater than myself.
Any memorable foster experiences?
Perhaps the most memorable experience involved the rescue of Blaze and Lady. These two dogs were rescued along with other pugs from horrible conditions. They were extremely emaciated with severe luxating patellas that forced them to walk in a hunched, crab-like fashion. What touched my heart the most was the fact that neither of them let their physical limitations affect their “puggie spirit.” They played with other dogs to their full potential, caught bouts of the “zoomies” on the whim, and shared love and affection without question to their foster parents.
I was proud to be a part of Pug Rescue of Korea’s effort to get these dogs the life changing surgeries they required. My sincere thanks to everyone who donated to that effort; it made a phenomenal difference in Lady and Blaze’s quality of life; they will always have a special place in our hearts.
Anything to add?
I would ask for each potential foster and forever home “puggie” moms and dads to spread the word to their friends, families and colleagues looking to adopt their next furry companion. Rescuing a dog or helping to support those efforts with donations through Pug Rescue of Korea will change both theirs and the pup’s life in more ways than one.