Pets are increasingly being considered as part of a family. With rising pet population in the province, Gyeonggi-do provides various policies and services for better life of animals and people.
With the growing emergence of single-person households
over the past decade in Korea, and with the pet-owning population at record
highs, there are now more than 10 million individuals who are raising pets in the
nation. Realizing the necessity to help both owners and pets, Gyeonggi-do is actively
implementing various initiatives and support policies.
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| Pet care service reduces the burden of single-person households with pets |
Support for pet owners in Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do has earmarked KRW
3.3 billion (including KRW 2.2 billion from the provincial budget) for the support
of single-person households, as well as KRW 110.8 billion (including KRW 12.8
billion from the provincial budget) for related housing. Concurrent with this, pet
care services are deemed to be integral to the task of ‘overcoming the loneliness
and isolation of single-person households’. For this reason, Gyeonggi-do plans
to provide care services to pet owners when they are absent from home, thereby
reducing the physiological and financial burdens of such households. Pets also
stand to benefit from these services as they are susceptible to loneliness when
owners are absent, with prolonged absence potentially resulting in issues such
as separation anxiety.
Gyeonggi-do will also provide
support for pet insurance to ensure the safety and health of pets, with plans
to implement the Gyeonggi-do pet insurance policy in 5 cities including Suwon,
Seongnam, Donducheon, Namyangju, and Gwacheon. To this end, the province has
secured KRW 1 billion for the related insurance coverage with a focus on the
provision of appropriate compensation to those who are bitten by a
policyholder’s dog. If the dog is injured during a fight, adequate treatment
support will also be provided.
Policies for pets and owners
As the number of pets
increases, it's becoming easier and easier to see pets around us. This increases
the importance of ‘petiquette’ (a portmanteau of ‘pet’ and ‘etiquette’). To
ensure appropriate ‘petiquette’, Gyeonggi-do will monitor pet owners who commit public infractions such as failing to secure identification tags. Under present
animal protection laws, a maximum fine of KRW 1 million can be imposed on
owners who fail to register their pets, while a maximum fine of KRW 500
thousand can be levied for failure to affix a leash or identification tags. To
ensure that such policy measures do not deter pet ownership, Gyeonggi-do will provide
automatic insurance enrollment when pet owners fulfill the requirements of pet
registration. This reflects the fact that about 350,000 pets, approximately 29.6%
of the national total, have been registered in Gyeonggi-do since the pet
registration policy went into effect in 2014. Accordingly, owners and pets will
have much easier access to the related support systems and policies.
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| Pet registration is one of the main pet policy in Gyeonggi-do |
Concurrently, Gyeonggi-do will
run a restaurant-and-shelter-style adoption center. It will also implement a
temporary caring system for abandoned animals in the province through which volunteers
take care of abandoned animals in their homes (fostering) until permanent homes
are secured. Through this system, abandoned animals can overcome the stress and
psychological trauma of being abandoned. Furthermore, while accelerating animal
adoptions and protecting animal rights, the adoption center will be strategically
located in an accessible area so as to reduce the psychological distance
between animals and the public while also offering a comfortable space in which
people can relax.
Way to the dream world utopia of pets
Gyeonggi-do plans to establish
a pet-themed amusement park on a 165,200 square-meter site in Sanggeo-dong
of Yeoju City by 2022, and has allocated KRW 55.8 billion for associated
expenses. Construction of the park is slated for completion for the second half
of 2021 or the first half of 2022. Among it’s the amenities, the part will feature
an ‘animal culture center’ to shelter a minimum of 1,000 abandoned animals as
well as an ‘animal hospital’ to educate and foster specialists such as veterinarians
and trainers. Gyeonggi-do has allocated KRW 35.8 billion for this project.
The growing number of pets
prove that pets are in need. In line with this, Gyeonggi-do is implementing
various support and policies for the happy life of owners and pets. Through
these pet-friendly supports and policies, Gyeonggi-do will be a warm home for
both animals and people.
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