"Please Don't Abandon Pets This Year" Chuseok Holiday Pet Abandonment, Any Solutions? [Kim Suwan's Animal Report]

Thousands of Abandoned Pets Increase Annually
Concerns Over Sharp Rise in Animal Abandonment During Chuseok Holidays
Nearly Half of Abandoned Animals Die Naturally or Are Euthanized
Experts Call for Social Awareness Change and Stricter Punishments

The number of abandoned pets is increasing every year. Abandoned dogs at an animal shelter. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] As the population of pet owners steadily increases, the number of abandoned animals is also rising significantly every year, emerging as a social issue. In particular, with the long holiday period of Chuseok approaching, concerns are growing that the abandonment of animals such as dogs and cats may surge.

Experts suggest that since cases of pet abandonment are increasing annually, improvements in systems such as education and stricter penalties are necessary to prevent this.

Recently, on 'GangsaMo' (Gangajireul Saranghaneun Moim), the largest pet-related online community by membership, and various online bulletin boards, posts expressing concerns about the increase in pet abandonment this Chuseok have been continuously posted, such as "Please don't abandon pets this year," "How can you abandon family members?" and "It seems true that many abandoned animals appear before the holidays."

One member said, "There has been a dog wandering around our apartment complex for a few days. Judging by its fur condition and the fact that it hasn't been seen for long, it must have had an owner," adding, "I hope it was just lost during a walk. But since there are no flyers or posts on abandoned animal sites looking for this dog, it seems to have been abandoned. They must have fed and lived with it for at least a year, so how can the person who abandoned it sleep peacefully?" expressing frustration.

Such loss and abandonment of pets are becoming serious social problems. According to the '2019 Pet Protection and Welfare Management Status' survey recently announced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the number of lost and abandoned pets rescued and protected last year was 135,791, showing a 12% increase compared to the previous year.

The number of lost and abandoned animals has steadily increased from 90,000 in 2016 to 103,000 in 2017, 121,000 in 2018, and 136,000 last year. It is expected that the actual number is even higher when including abandoned animals not captured in the statistics.

The number of abandoned animals significantly increases before and after holiday periods such as traditional festivals. A photo shows abandoned dogs waiting for adoption at an animal protection center. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News

In particular, the actual number of abandoned animals tends to surge before and after holiday periods such as Chuseok. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, 26,067 cases (19.2%) of animal abandonment and loss occurred during September and October last year, which included the Chuseok holiday.

Additionally, according to the abandoned animal statistics site PointHand, 1,542 animals were abandoned during the 2018 Chuseok holiday (September 16?26), and 1,327 animals were abandoned during the Lunar New Year holiday period (February 10?17). This means that about 3,000 animals were abandoned by their families during the holidays alone.

It is known that many cases of dogs and cats being abandoned occur at highway rest stops during holidays. However, these abandoned animals are more likely to be euthanized or die from illness than to be adopted by new families.

This is clearly reflected in related surveys. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, as of last year, there were 284 animal protection centers nationwide, and the rescued lost and abandoned animals were distributed as follows: △adopted (26.4%) △natural death (24.8%) △euthanasia (21.8%) △returned to owner (12.1%) △under protection (11.8%).

According to Article 8, Paragraph 4 of the Animal Protection Act, "Owners, etc. must not abandon animals." The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News

Abandoning pets is a criminal act punishable by law. According to Article 8, Paragraph 4 of the Animal Protection Act, "Owners must not abandon animals," and a maximum fine of 3 million KRW can be imposed for abandonment.

Various policies such as the animal registration system have been implemented since 2014 to prevent abandonment, but criticisms arise that their effectiveness is limited. In particular, it is pointed out that it is impossible to monitor every abandonment act individually.

Experts emphasize that social awareness change and stronger penalties are urgently needed to eradicate pet abandonment.

Lee Wonbok, CEO of the Korea Animal Protection Union, stated, "For a mature pet culture, measures such as annual education for pet owners and social awareness change are urgent," adding, "Strong penalties and reinforced animal adoption procedures are necessary to raise awareness that abandoning animals is a serious crime."

Experts also recommend using entrusted care facilities where pets can be left during holiday periods.

Animal trainer Kang Hyungwook said on his YouTube channel 'Kang Hyungwook's Bodum TV' on the 25th, in a video titled "Abandoning dogs during the holidays?", "According to a public official in charge of abandoned dogs I met at an event in the past, many abandoned dogs are found along travel routes and on the way home during holidays," adding, "I thought, 'They go to a big house themselves but abandon their dogs?' I just can't understand it."

He continued, "Nowadays, there are many good pet boarding facilities. You can leave your dog there temporarily during the holidays, right? I hope there won't be any dogs wandering alone in warehouses or residential complexes this year," he emphasized.