Kunsan P.A.W.S. sponsors Wolf Pack in adopting another “Pack”

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Victoria H. Taylor
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Waking up to board a bus during a rain storm may not sound like an ideal way to start a Saturday, but after making the four-hour trek, 21 U.S. Air Force Airmen and volunteers, assigned to Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, were greeted by more than 200 floppy tongues, 800 tapping paws and thousands of muddy paw prints at a dog and cat shelter in Daegu, ROK, July 8, 2017.

The trip, sponsored by Kunsan Patriots for Animal Welfare and Scholarships, or Kunsan P.A.W.S., was the first-ever trip to the no-kill shelter in Daegu and was coordinated after the shelters owner reached out to the Wolf Pack organization looking for a helping hand.

“It was heartbreaking at first,” said Tech. Sgt. Nichole Sedesse, 8th Maintenance Squadron armament maintenance floor chief. “I had an idea of what we were getting into, but to be honest, it was overwhelming when I saw it for myself; there is so much that needs to be done.”
On this particular volunteer opportunity, the group managed to raise enough funds in order to pay for the entire outing, as well as collect more than 200 pounds of food and supplies to donate to the animal shelter.

"Put simply, our intent is to help save animals and educate Airmen on what they are capable of during their short tour here," said Senior Airman David Diez, 8th Security Forces Squadron defender and Kunsan P.A.W.S. president. “We take these trips in order to better our community, but we also get to learn the Korean culture along the way; it gets Airmen out of their comfort zone.”

Since its formation in 2014, Kunsan P.A.W.S. has been able to work with animal shelters all over the Korean peninsula.

“There are trips to different shelters held weekly; it’s a great way to support the community,” said Diez. "We are always looking for volunteers.”

Although the group's main objective is to aid and support animals, it has also become a way to build morale, meet Airmen who have similar interests and work with our South Korean neighbors.

"Being away from family and my own dogs is difficult, but being a part of Kunsan P.A.W.S has helped me cope,” said Sedesse. “This experience has been a great opportunity to not only do something I’m passionate about but also to meet people who have similar interests.”

Members of Kunsan P.A.W.S. have made it their mission to protect those who can't speak for themselves, all while still keeping the Wolf Pack mission to "take the fight north" their number one priority.

For more information on how to volunteer, contact kunsanpaws@gmail.com.