KT Captures Attention of 15 Million Petfam: "Inquire About Pet Information at 114"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seolgina Jo] "For pet information, please contact 114."

KT IS and KT CS, operators of the number information service 114, have newly organized a database (DB) of about 19,000 phone numbers related to pets and are launching a guidance service. This move comes as inquiries related to pets have been increasing recently, with the so-called ‘petfam (pet + family)’ population, who raise pets like family members, approaching 15 million.

According to number information 114 on the 21st, last year, there were about 280,000 phone inquiries related to pets. A notable point is that while most past inquiries were about animal hospitals and pet supply stores, recently they have become more segmented into pet funeral homes, pet-friendly taxis, pet adoption, pet photo studios, pet insurance, 24-hour animal hospitals, and more.

Number information 114 expects to provide accurate information on various inquiries related to pets through this DB reorganization.

They also provide phone numbers of public institutions related to pets. Number information 114 offers information on local governments implementing support policies such as pet registration, rabies vaccination, and adoption fees for abandoned animals. Additionally, they provide phone numbers of animal protection centers where abandoned animals can be reported and received.

In this process, they also leverage the advantage of 24/7 response. As domestic travel with pets surges during vacation seasons, the number of emergency situations involving pets at travel destinations is also increasing. In such cases, if you contact number information 114, you can receive information about nearby animal hospitals 24 hours a day, not through ARS but through a counselor’s voice.

Furthermore, number information 114 provides phone numbers of various companies related to pet food, health, education, and more. If customers request text services, detailed information such as the location and homepage of the respective company is sent together.

Kim Hanseong, Head of Data Services Division at KT IS, said, “As the petfam population who regard pets as family members increases, interest in various markets related to pets is also rising. We will continue to expand related data so that many pet owners can obtain the information they want anytime, 24 hours a day.”