International students lend rescue dogs a hand

Ten international students from different countries gathered at an animal shelter in Seoul on Monday to participate in a volunteer event to take care of dogs at a Seoul-based animal shelter.

“I've been living in Korea for three years, and I've wanted to volunteer for a long time,” Arina Telpukova, 22, a Russian postgraduate student at Soongsil University, said at the event organized by the Seoul Global Center.

Animals currently under protection at the center had arrived under various circumstances, according to a shelter official. Many had been abandoned, while others had been rescued. One owner who lost their sight had asked the shelter to take care of their dog.

Many international students had expressed interest in Monday's event to walk the dogs and help newly arrived animals get used to people. A total of 66 people applied for the 10 volunteer spots, center staff said.

Chiara Gadda, 25, an Italian postgraduate at Yonsei University, said owning a dog had drawn her to the activity.

“I've wanted to do more volunteer work lately, and I love animals because I have a dog myself,” Gadda said.

The group also included Gracias Hilnette Marlyne Agbedjinou, 22, a graduate student from Benin studying at Konkuk University.

“I've always been interested in volunteering, and I joined a volunteer club as soon as I came to Korea,” Agbedjinou said.

After a briefing on how to handle the dogs safely, the volunteers split into two groups. One group headed out for a walk, while the other stayed to socialize with dogs whose two-week quarantine had just ended.

Seoul's temperature reached a high of around 30 degrees Celsius that day, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. Despite the heat, the volunteers smiled as they called the dogs' names, offered them water and walked alongside them. The dogs trotted along with their tongues hanging out.

The groups then switched roles. Indoors, the newly arrived dogs reacted differently to unfamiliar faces: one trembled nervously, while another cautiously explored the room.

Cui Yun Xi, 21, a Chinese undergraduate at Korea University who is already involved in similar activities at school, said the event offered an opportunity to gain new experiences.

“I felt very lucky to have been selected again,” Cui said, having previously participated in the center's activities.

Asked whether they would volunteer again, Telpukova answered without hesitation.

“Of course. It was so much fun,” she said.

Monday's event was part of a series of volunteer events arranged by the Seoul Global Center from Oct. 7 to Oct. 31 for international students attending Seoul-based universities.

This is the center's third volunteer team of international students this year.

What started as a 25-member volunteer team in the first phase has since become a pool of about 400 people in an open group chat, with participants selected based on their suitability for each activity.