Hope for Donghae Paws (HDP); 동해아이들의 희망 is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to rescuing and re-homing dogs in the Washington DC Suburbs (Northern Virginia & Maryland). Our mission is to find permanent homes in the U.S. for mixed breed, large breed, handicapped, and senior dogs with low chance of adoption in South Korea. Hope for Donghae Paws’ campaign to re-home dogs from South Korea started in July 2014 when the number of dogs accommodated in Donghae City Shelter exceeded the shelter’s maximum capacity. Suddenly, dogs that have stayed at the shelter for more than one year were put at high risk of euthanasia. Donghae is a small port city located on the east coast of South Korea, a three-hour drive from Seoul. The city is surrounded by numerous small farm towns and due to its location, most of the dogs in Donghae City Shelter are mixed-breed of various sizes considered undesirable for adoption. Since the launch of our U.S. HDP adoption campaign, we have found homes for more than 200 dogs! We now partner with multiple rescue organizations in South Korea and not only re-home dogs from Donghae city shelter, but to this day most of our rescues are from Donghae and we often refer to our rescues as “Donghae dogs”. It is our absolute joy to find loving adopters who are willing to welcome a Donghae dog as a family member.
1. Think it through one more time. Are you ready to commit time, energy and resources to a new dog? Are you ready to spend the next 10-15 years caring for the dog? Do you have any upcoming life events that could potentially make you change your mind? Please keep in mind that our dogs are taking a long and stressful trip from South Korea in hopes of finding a loving and permanent family. 2. Read profiles of our available dogs and choose potential candidates: Consider the size, breed and needs of the dogs available carefully. Does the dog that you are interested in fit your life style? Is the size and breed of the dog feasible in your current living situation and does it violate any rules of your rental agreement or HOA? By reading the description of the dog and their special needs, (if any) does it seem like all family members, including other pets will enjoy having a Donghae dog as a part of the family? 3. Submit an Adoption Application: Please submit a non-binding adoption application, available at the bottom of this page, and include as much detail as possible. Your application will be carefully reviewed by the HDP adoption committee to determine if there is a good match between the dog of interest and the potential adopter. If applicable, we will call your veterinarian to ensure that your previous and/or current pets have been well cared for. If your application is approved, one of our volunteers will reach out to move on to the next steps. 4. Schedule a phone interview: If HDP decides that you may be a potential adopter, a volunteer will reach out to arrange a phone interview. This interview will be a brief 15-30 minute conversation to go over your adoption application and also to answer any questions you may have for us. 5. Schedule a home visit: A HDP Volunteer will visit your home to see where the dog will live and answer any questions or concerns you may have. 6. Welcome your new family: Once you are approved for adoption, a pick-up will be scheduled at Dulles International Airport. (IAD) Depending on where your dog is located and how we will need to transport your dog to the United States, this process may vary in length. But don’t worry, HDP volunteers will help to ensure a timely and successful meeting!