Leave Your Pet Dog in Care When Visiting Hometown During Seollal Holiday

Playing with Your Pet Dog

Seocho-gu to Operate ‘Pet Dog Care Shelter’ at Seocho Animal Love Center from 20th to 25th

·Professional pet sitters on site providing feeding, waste care, and overall care for small to medium-sized dogs, minimum fee 5,000 KRW

Professional pet sitters monitor dogs and transfer to 24-hour animal hospital in case of emergencies

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seocho-gu (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) will operate a ‘Pet Dog Care Shelter’ during the Lunar New Year holiday to ease the burden of dog owners who leave their homes to visit their hometowns.

Since 2019, the district has been running the ‘Pet Dog Care Shelter’ during holiday periods for residents who leave their homes to visit their hometowns. During this Lunar New Year holiday period (20th to 25th), Seocho-gu has prepared a care space within the Seocho Animal Love Center for dog owners who are concerned about the costs of entrusting their pets to private care facilities.

Experienced professional caregivers (pet sitters) will be stationed here to monitor the dogs’ condition through patrols and CCTV. They provide comprehensive care including feeding, waste management, and play, and in case of emergencies such as illness or injury, they connect the dogs to a 24-hour animal hospital.

Applicants can visit the Seocho Animal Love Center on a first-come, first-served basis by the 17th. Eligible applicants are owners of small to medium-sized dogs over 5 months old registered in the district, and the dogs must not have contagious diseases, illnesses, pregnancy, or be in heat. The care fee is a minimum of 5,000 KRW to cover cleaning and disinfection.

Priority for application is given in the following order: ▲Seocho-gu residents who have adopted abandoned dogs (1st priority) ▲Low-income households (2nd priority) ▲Adoptive families of Seocho Animal Love Center and Seocho-gu residents (3rd priority).

Meanwhile, the district has been promoting various pet policies for a ‘Happy Seocho for People and Animals.’ First, it supports residents who adopt abandoned animals with an adoption subsidy of 500,000 KRW, the highest among local governments nationwide.

Additionally, the district operates services such as ▲funeral cost support for pet owners receiving the bodies of pets killed by road accidents ▲‘Seoripul Rainbow Group’ which helps overcome pet loss through psychological counseling ▲‘Problem Behavior and Walking Training’ conducted by professional dog trainers.

Mayor Jeon Seong-su said, “I hope pet families use the pet dog care shelter during the Lunar New Year holiday to spend the holiday with peace of mind. We will continue to strive to establish a mature pet culture and create a happy Seocho where people and animals coexist.”

Nowon-gu to Operate Pet Dog Shelter from 21st to 23rd of Lunar New Year Holiday at the 2nd Floor Auditorium of the District Office

For small dogs under 8kg with completed animal registration and rabies vaccination, care fee 5,000 KRW

Applications accepted for one dog per household, first 30 dogs by 6 PM from 9th to 18th

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced it will operate a pet dog care shelter during the Lunar New Year holiday.

The pet dog shelter has been a representative animal welfare service of Nowon-gu since its launch during Chuseok in 2018, now in its sixth year. It was started to prevent the occurrence of abandoned dogs during holidays and to reduce the financial burden of pet owners planning to visit their hometowns by using pet hotels.

This Lunar New Year, the pet dog shelter will operate from January 21st to 23rd at the 2nd floor auditorium of Nowon-gu Office. The shelter is divided into three main areas: ▲playground ▲hotel area ▲promotion booth. The playground is separated by gender and size with durable steel fences installed. Various exercise equipment and toys will be provided to encourage active play.

The hotel area is furnished with rugs, mats, and other cozy bedding to ensure dogs can rest comfortably. Balloon art and other decorations will create a festive holiday atmosphere. The district will also operate a promotion booth to inform visitors about various ongoing pet-related projects.

Pet care is provided by teams of three pet sitters who have signed a diligent work pledge, working in two shifts from 9 AM to 9 PM. They handle feeding, waste disposal, walks, and provide customized care based on owners’ requests and breed characteristics.

At night, the district office’s duty staff monitor the shelter in real-time via CCTV and conduct regular patrols. For owners concerned about their dogs, the animal protection team staff send photos twice daily. In case of illness or injury, dogs are promptly connected to a 24-hour animal hospital in the area.

Applications are accepted on the Nowon-gu Office website until 6 PM on January 18th. Currently, applications are open for the first 30 dogs on a first-come, first-served basis, with a care fee of 5,000 KRW. Priority is given to vulnerable groups such as elderly living alone, disabled persons, and recipients of basic livelihood security. Phone applications are also accepted.

Eligible dogs must be owned by district residents, be over 6 months old, have completed animal registration and rabies vaccination, be small dogs under 8kg with no socialization issues. Dogs with contagious diseases, pregnant or in heat are not eligible. Owners are advised to bring familiar food, toys, and bedding to help dogs adjust to the new environment.

Meanwhile, since opening the Nowon Pet Culture Center ‘Daengdaeng House’ in October 2020, the district has been conducting various projects for coexistence between people and animals. These include protection and management of abandoned and abused animals, adoption of abandoned dogs, pet culture education, as well as providing community spaces and self-dry rooms for pet families.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “During the Lunar New Year holiday, we will take care of your dogs at the district office so you can visit your hometown comfortably and spend happy time with your family. We will continue to make every effort to create a pet-friendly city where people and animals coexist.”