Gimhae City, Gyeongnam, improves animal welfare through a comprehensive 5-year animal welfare plan. [Image source=Gimhae City]
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] Gimhae City, Gyeongnam Province, announced on the 19th that it will establish and implement a comprehensive 5-year animal welfare plan (2021?2025) in response to the increasing population of companion animals.
The city aims to become "Gimhae, a city where people and animals are happy together" and will invest 7.8 billion KRW from this year through 2025 to promote 21 projects including expanding animal welfare infrastructure, strengthening animal welfare support, fostering a mature companion animal culture, and creating a companion animal theme park.
First, to expand infrastructure, the city will invest 3 billion KRW to carry out three projects: a directly managed animal protection center, a comprehensive companion animal support center, and four companion animal playgrounds. By 2022, the city plans to secure land and complete mid-term financial and basic plans, and by 2025, it will proceed with these projects through public contests.
For strengthening animal welfare support, 2.4 billion KRW will be spent on 10 detailed projects including activating animal registration, supporting companion animal medical expenses, a pilot project for cat registration, neutering yard dogs, and installing feeding stations for stray cats.
Additionally, to foster a mature companion animal culture, 200 million KRW will be invested in seven projects such as intensive enforcement and education on pet etiquette violations, animal welfare campaigns, operation of honorary animal protection monitors and guides, and companion animal contests.
Separately from the approved implementation plan for the ‘Bunseongsan Companion Animal Theme Park,’ the city plans to create one more companion animal theme park by 2025. After securing the site, the project will proceed through a public contest, with a budget of about 2 billion KRW to include companion animal play facilities and support centers.
Furthermore, the city plans to revise related ordinances around June to strengthen animal protection and to establish an animal welfare governance system next year that involves both administrative and private sectors.
Mayor Heo Seong-gon said, “We have established a comprehensive animal welfare plan to meet the increasing demand for companion animal welfare policies. Through this, we aim to resolve conflicts between pet owners and non-pet owners and foster a mature companion animal culture, making Gimhae a city where people and animals are happy together.”
Meanwhile, as of December 2020, it was identified that 55,810 households, accounting for 25% of all 223,249 households in Gimhae, raise 68,087 companion animals (dogs and cats), among which 16,502 households (29.5%) have registered their companion animals, totaling 20,826 animals.
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