"The Day hawon Became Family" Episode 3

 The Day Hawon Became Family


The day after I received the call,

we headed straight to the shelter to proceed with the adoption,


The place was the Korea Animal Rescue Association,

an organization dedicated to rescuing and protecting dogs, cats, and other animals in need.



Illustration of Yakryeongsi in Seoul, a traditional herbal medicine street where the puppy was found


The puppy I was going to adopt was a young female,

estimated to be only about five months old.


She had been found near Yakryeongsi,

an area in Seoul historically renowned for its traditional medicinal herb trade.


Yakryeongsi is located in Jegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu,

If you ever walk through that neighborhood,

the air is thick the sharp, earthy scent of herbal medicine

lingerring is  very corner.


That was where she had been rescued.




Due to the nature of the shelter system,
we couldn’t learn the full details of her life before the rescue.

After arriving at the shelter and receiving some guidance,
we were finally allowed to meet her.

She appeared from behind the metal enclosure,
and honestly, she was in a heartbreaking state.




A rescued puppy inside a shelter cage reaching out toward a human hand


Her body was soiled with waste,
and she carried a pungent odor—
one that I had never smelled before
and will likely never forget.

But the moment she saw us,
she exploded with almost frantic energy.

That reaction was oddly reassuring.



Given her environment,
it was understandable that she hadn’t been bathed or groomed at all.

What mattered more to me was her expression.

She looked genuinely happy.

And that alone lifted my mood instantly.






We greeted her and were about to start filling out the paperwork
when a veterinarian approached us.

“There is something I need to tell you,” he said gravely.



Illustration of a canine coronavirus test showing a positive result


As part of the pre-adoption checkup,
they had conducted a basic health test that day.

The puppy had tested positive for canine coronavirus.

She had been housed near other puppies
who were already showing symptoms,
and that was likely how she had become infected.



At a high-volume shelter like this,
aggressive treatment is often not an option.

To prevent the virus from spreading further,
sick animals are often scheduled for euthanasia.

If we didn’t adopt her right then,
she would likely be placed on that very list.



At that moment,
our options were painfully simple.

Take her with us.

Or leave her behind.



But I had one thing I could truly rely on.

My older brother is a veterinarian.

And more than that—
I had already fallen for her completely.

We had come all this way just to meet her.
Turning our backs on her simply because she was sick
was never going to be an option I could live with.



We told them we would take her
and handle all of her medical care ourselves.

And just like that,
she became a part of our family.



Strangely enough,
it felt like she understood that she finally had a home.

Despite the virus in her system,
she was nothing but pure excitement—
overflowing with energy and absolute joy.

That was the day
our family officially grew by one.



A small rescued puppy lying on a blanket at home, resting quietly after adoption


And finally,
we gave her the name
we had held in our hearts for so long.

Hawon.



As I looked at her,
I made a quiet, solemn promise to myself.

This time,
I will not break it.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In korea, I'm just an ordinary man in his 40s.

Image
 In korea, I'm just an ordinary man in his 40s. I don't stand out here. I'm not young, not successful, and not particularly interesting in my own society. When a foreigner lives next door, we naturally become curious about their life. Not because they are special- but because they are different from us Maybe life works the same way online. What is ordinary is one place can quietly become a story somewhere else. I’ve failed before. In business. In marriage. I’m not sharing this for drama or sympathy. It’s simply part of my life. For a long time, I believed success would give my life meaning. I chased money, stability, and the idea of “getting it right.” Some things didn’t work out. And that’s okay. What matters more is what comes after— the quiet days that follow failure, when no one is watching and life continues anyway. My Life Now These days, I live alone. Not in isolation— but in a quiet kind of independence. I share my days with my dog, Hawon. We walk together, eat toge...
Read more

What a Night Out in Korea Taught Me About Belonging, Appearance, and Letting Go

Image
 What a Night Out in Korea Taught Me About Belonging, Appearance, and Letting Go In Korea, there is a place called a nightclub. Not a club in the Western sense, but something slightly different. While clubs exist everywhere in the world, Korean nightclubs are bult around a very purpose: meeting someone new. Everything about the space is designed to make that happen quickly and efficiently. First impressions matter more than conversations, and appearance often speaks before words do. I hadn’t been to one in almost ten years. After getting married and growing older, nightlife simply stopped being part of my routine. This visit wasn’t planned. It was the end of the year, friends suggested it, and saying no felt harder than going along. So I went. We booked a private room. It was expensive because it was New Year’s Eve, but splitting the cost made it feel manageable. The place was crowded, loud, and full of energy. On the surface, everything looked fine. But I didn’t enjoy myself.
Read more

The Secret Behind the Name 'Hawon': A 17-Year Promise

Image
 The Secret Behind the Name 'Hawon': A 17-Year Promise In Korea, military service is mandatory. I completed mine, like everyone else. But the name Hawon is deeply tied to that time in my life. ⸻ Near the end of my service, the outpost commander brought back two puppies from somewhere. One of them, I named myself. That name was Hawon. I took the name from the outpost itself Even now, if you search for it, you'll find Hawon-dong on Jeju Island. ⸻ The other puppy didn't last long. Not long after arriving, it ate pesticide that had   been spread on a nearby field and passed away. After that, Hawon followed only me. Among all the soldiers, he chose me. ⸻ I grew deeply attached to him as well. Whenever I could, I kept him  close. He  followed me everywhere, all day long. ⸻ I asked the outpost commander if I could take Hawon with me after my discharge. He knew our bond and agreed without hesitation. ⸻ Then, the day of my discharge arrived. After reporting my discharge...
Read more