Hello Vet! How are you?

It was unexpected to hear about the “Woof Woof Animal Clinic”, not in the neighborhood but in front of our shelter in Namyangju.

Lee Joon instinctively turned his head towards the source of the sound.

“Oh? Customer!”

The customer, who had recently been almost raiding the Woof Woof Animal Clinic’s treats every week, was standing there with surprised eyes.

It was Nam Gung-hyun, who had visited just the day before.

“Director, are you here to volunteer?”

Nam Gung-hyun’s voice was brimming with delight as he asked.

“Yes, it’s a place I’ve been visiting since I was a student. Are you here to volunteer as well?”

“Yes.”

“So, the place you mentioned you volunteer at is here?”

“Yes. By any chance, are you part of ‘We Are Together’?”

“Yes.”

“Haha, I thought so.”

Nam Gung-hyun, who had a knack for reading people, felt a sense of goodness from Lee Joon.

And his intuition was correct.

“Meeting you here is really uplifting.”

Lee Joon’s image of Nam Gung-hyun was already quite positive, especially because he mentioned volunteering.

And the fact that they volunteer in the same place suddenly sparked a sense of camaraderie.

However, he had to set aside these emotions for later.

Items were being unloaded from the car, one by one.

They were the mobile equipment and medicines to be used for today’s treatment.

Walking over to where the equipment was placed, Lee Joon spoke.

“I’m going to get to work now.”

“Oh no, I’m just so happy to meet the Director that I’m holding you up. See you in a bit.”

Lee Joon went inside the shelter carrying the equipment, while Nam Gung-hyun returned to his parked car.

Each was going about their assigned duties.

Surrounded by surgery equipment, medicine, and parts, Lee Joon entered the shelter, and the dogs who already knew of their arrival began barking even louder.

Dogs barked out of joy at regular visits.

Dogs barked out of caution towards strangers.

Dogs barked simply because their companions were barking.

Lee Joon was already used to the sound of barking dogs.

Usually, he just laughed it off with; ‘Yeah, nice to see you too, guys’.

But not today.

『Wow, the doctors are here. The doctors are here!』
『Hehe, doctor. It’s been a while. I’ve been waiting for you.』
『Sobs, I’ve missed you.』
『Please, please pet me today.』
『Me too! Pet me twice!』
『Pet me three times!』

Dogs that were so lonely, they couldn’t help but warmly welcome the humans.

『Doctoe! My leg hurts a lot.』
『My teeth hurt so much, I can’t eat.』
『My side itches a lot.』
『You too? I itch a lot behind my ears.』

Dogs complaining of their ailments.

『Go away. Get out of here!』
『Don’t come near. Just try coming closer!』
『Ack, I’m scared.』

Dogs guarded and on edge.

Amongst the barks were the occasional meows of cats interspersed.

Nyaoo!

Meow!

Kiyaoo!

Lee Joon was receiving a torrent of information about the animals’ states that was different from merely guessing whether they were happy, sad, in pain, or resigned.

‘So that’s what they’ve been thinking.’

Although there were some animals in the shelter that seemed comfortable as though it were their own home, most of them were uneasy.

Moreover, those who hadn’t adjusted to the shelter didn’t show any signs of pain, even if they were hurting.

Whenever Lee Joon saw such animals, he wanted to do his best to help.

Even though the shelter staff and volunteers kept an eye on them, there were just too many animals, and many went without treatment.

Moreover, while “We Are Together” provided volunteer services, their main focus was on spaying, neutering, and vaccinations.

Even just those tasks took up a lot of time.

As such, unless it was a severe condition or an easily identifiable illness, it was often overlooked.

But now was different.

‘Now I can finally find the shy dogs and shy cats.’

Dogs and cats that were in pain but endured it, or animals that showed signs of illness but went unnoticed by people.

Lee Joon was excited at the idea of finding and treating such animals.

‘It’s too sad if there’s no diligent guardian taking care of them, especially if they’re in pain.’

What mattered to Lee Joon was the quality of life.

While living long was important, not being in pain during that life was also crucial.

That was precisely Lee Joon’s treatment philosophy.

A while later, a meeting was held in the largest room of the shelter.

While showing some material on the monitor, the chairman of “We Are Together” spoke.

“Today, there are 20 male animals for neutering – 15 dogs and 5 cats. There are 10 females, of these; 3 are cats.”

In the case of surgeries, coordination with the shelter is necessary in advance.

Fasting is required for anesthesia, and there needs to be a space prepared for the animals to recover post-surgery.

Most importantly, the number of surgeries that can be performed depends on how many veterinarians volunteer that day.

Someone sighed and spoke.

“There certainly are more new ones.”

“It’s because it’s spring.”

“True.”

“We’ll have to do the same amount next week too.”

“We need to move quickly.”

“Alright, let’s focus on the surgeries first.”

And with that, everyone found their places.

『Teacher, when do we eat? I’m hungry!』

A puppy that resembled a retriever wagged its tail in greeting.

Having been born in the shelter, it had just turned six months old.

For this puppy whose home was the shelter, there was no sense of wariness.

“I’ll give it to you soon.”

『I want to eat now though…』

“Hold on just a bit longer. After a nap, I’ll give you something tasty.”

『Alright… 』

And so it fell asleep, and Lee Joon swiftly completed the surgery.

Next up was an unbelievably small Chihuahua.

The Chihuahua was trembling with fear and full of caution in its eyes.

Lee Joon spoke softly.

“It’s okay.”

『I-I’m scared.』

“I’ll make sure it’s not scary.”

『… Really?』

Although it was still trembling, as Lee Joon looked into the Chihuahua’s eyes, he thought,

‘This one seemed to have had a good bond with its owner, so how did it end up here?’

Although he wanted to ask questions like, what’s your name, where’s your home, and how did you get here, excitement could not be allowed for an animal about to undergo anesthesia.

Lee Joon asked the Chihuahua,

“Is there something you want to eat?”

『It’s in a square container…』

“You mean the soft and tender-smelling meat with chunks of carrot in it?”

The Chihuahua’s eyes widened.

『H-How did you…』

“Let’s have that after your nap.”

Lee Joon reassured the Chihuahua with a warm expression.

Performing surgery non-stop, Lee Joon was grateful for his ability.

In any case, he was able to slightly ease the anxiety of those trembling on the operating table.

After finishing surgeries on five animals, the junior assisting Lee Joon stretched his back and said,

“Whew, senior, let’s take a short break.”

“Shall we?”

“Yes, my back hurts so much from bending over all the time.”

“Alright, let’s do that.”

As the two were stretching and adjusting their postures, the door suddenly swung open.

“D-Dr. Lee.”

An employee from the shelter came running to Lee Joon.

“Yes?”

“Could you come to the next room?”

“The next room?”

“We’re about to neuter the yellow dog, but it has an unusual temperament.”

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Lee Joon and his junior headed to the next room.

The first thing to catch their eye was a yellow dog, weighing about 15 kilograms, baring its teeth and growling.

Grrr…

The yellow dog, with eyes glistening suspiciously, looked ready to bite at any moment.

“Dr. Lee, glad you’re here. Let’s put a muzzle on it.”

Lee Joon’s senior, who was handling the affairs for the volunteer organization, addressed him with a troubled expression.

The senior was holding the thick leash tightly, while another junior, standing next to him, was nervously holding the muzzle.

“S-Senior, I can’t put the muzzle on this one. We need it on to give the anesthesia injection…”

“Give it here.”

Receiving the muzzle from his junior, Lee Joon stood in front of the yellow dog.

The yellow dog looked even more guarded.

Grrrr…

『D-Don’t touch me. Just try to touch me!』

While revealing hostility, the yellow dog looked at Lee Joon.

『Don’t come near me. If you come any closer, I’ll bite you for sure!』

Lee Joon faced the dog’s eyes directly.

Before, he had only seen madness in those eyes, but up close, they were filled with fear.

“Yellow one, I’m not going to hurt you.”

Lee Joon’s low yet gentle voice reached the yellow dog’s ears.

Though just briefly, the stiff tail relaxed slightly.

But soon, it returned to its original state, and only Lee Joon, who had been watching from the beginning, noticed.

‘Life outside must have been harsh on you.’

Lee Joon felt pity for the yellow dog.

『Liar. You’re going to catch me and hit me!』

“I promise, I will not hit you. Never.”

『Lies… W-What?』

The yellow dog had that look animals gave when they realized for the first time that Lee Joon understood them.

“Really, I won’t. So just trust me a little. By the way, is there something you want to eat, yellow fellow?”

Grr…

Though still baring its teeth, the yellow dog looked slightly calmer than before.

“If you don’t tell me, you won’t get it. So tell me what you want to eat right at this moment.”

Lee Joon stepped closer.

If the yellow dog intended to bite, he was well within biting distance.

“S-Senior!”

“Shh!”

Lee Joon brought his finger to his lips, motioning for silence, and waited for the yellow dog’s response.

『I-I…』

But the yellow dog couldn’t answer.

Lee Joon felt a surge of emotion.

It seemed this yellow dog had no taste from memory.

Just as he was about to offer the best thing he had, expecting the yellow dog to get excited, it spoke slowly.

『Long and soft…』

Ah, a soft stick.

“Alright, I’ll give you that.”

『Can I have two strips?』

“I’ll give you ten.”

The yellow dog’s eyes grew large.

Lee Joon petted the dog’s head and said,

“So, let’s sleep for a bit. When you wake up, you’ll get something yummy.”

As Lee Joon petted the yellow dog, their colleagues were astonished.

However, Lee Joon didn’t stop there, hse even administered the anesthesia shot alone.

“I will take care of this one’s surgery.”

“Y-Yes, thanks.”

“P-Please do.”

Looking at the yellow dog lying on the operating table, Lee Joon thought.

‘Good thing I brought plenty of treats.’

***

With the scheduled surgeries completed, a short break was underway.

Lee Joon decided to make the most of that time.

『P-Please pet me.』
『M-Me too!』
『I want gum!』
『Bwahahaha, I’m first though!』
『That, I want to eat that.』

He headed towards the place where large, energetic dogs with friendly but overly strong personalities were kept.

Naturally, they were dogs that received almost no adoption inquiries.

The ultimate goal of both “Our Meadow Shelter” and “We Are Together” was to have no animals left in the shelter.

The aim was for all animals in the shelter to find families, no longer being alone but part of “We Are Together”.

Everyone knew it was an ambition approaching zero in feasibility.

Thus, Lee Joon dreamed of a reachable future.

‘I want to build a shelter where these guys can run and rest as much as they like.’

It’s a dream that could be harder than We Are Together’s goal.

However, Lee Joon had no intention of giving up.

Addressing the large dogs eagerly seeking affection, he shouted,

“Come on, line up everyone. If you don’t, you won’t get gum or head pats!”

But instead of lining up, they continued to whirl around Lee Joon in disarray.

Yet, soon they calmed as Lee Joon coaxed them with a few more words.

One by one, they sat to receive their treat and stretched their heads out for a pet.

That was when Nam Gung-hyun, passing by after lunch, witnessed the scene.

“Honestly, how do they listen so well?”

Even while having lunch, he’d heard about Lee Joon’s remarkable actions.

He was aware of Nureong, the yellow dog.

“I once tried to give it a treat and almost got bitten to death.”

But the thought of Lee Joon patting it without even a muzzle on, and even administering a shot alone, was astounding.

“Should I call it courage, or did dogs originally follow the Woof Woof Animal Clinic’s Director well? But thinking of his usual conduct at the animal clinic, it seems to be the latter.”

A little later, Lee Joon emerged from the pen.

Thuck, thuck, thuck.

One by one, the dogs dropped their chewed gum and ran towards the entrance.

Woof woof woof!

Bark bark bark.

Woo woo woo!

The quiet pen was once again alive with noise.

Lee Joon then shouted loudly,

“No barking if you want me to come over again!”

All of a sudden, it went silent.

“Good, then if you stay like this, I’ll come by once more before I leave.”

All thirty-plus dogs wagged their tails fiercely, not a bark heard.

As Lee Joon came out, he spotted Nam Gung-hyun and asked.

“Have you had lunch?”

“Yes. They say you performed surgery on the yellow fellow.”

“Yes.”

“How did you manage with such a fierce dog?”

“I promised ten soft sticks and it calmed right down.”

“Soft sticks?”

“Yes. Oh, I better save a pack of those.”

As Lee Joon walked towards the office, he shared the story of the yellow dog with Nam Gung-hyun.

“Tsk, it’s a really pitiful one.”

“A large fellow like that probably couldn’t find adoption due to being aggressive. Those other guys had good personalities but were too lively and big for adoption too.”

“I assume small ones get adopted easier?”

Despite having supported and volunteered at shelters recently, Nam Gung-hyun was not familiar with internal affairs.

“More or less.”

“Then, a Chihuahua like the one you operated on today should get adopted easily?”

“Usually, but I doubt today’s one will be as easy.”

Lee Joon thought back to the Chihuahua earlier and gave a bittersweet smile.

—