Gangnam-gu Operates Pet Dog Care Shelter During Lunar New Year Holiday

Gangnam-gu Signs Agreement with Specialized Care Consignment Companies for New Projects This Year, Provides Free Care for 100 Dogs During Lunar New Year... Full Support for Pet Registration with Embedded Microchips and Procedure Fees... Plans for Pet Consignment Centers and Adoption Fee Support for Vulnerable Groups

Gaepo Neighborhood Park Dog Playground

Gangnam-gu (District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) will operate a shelter where pets can be cared for during the Lunar New Year holiday as a new project this year, accepting applications from January 29 to February 2.

As of January 2024, over 40,000 pets are registered in Gangnam-gu, the highest number among Seoul’s 25 districts. To support the steadily increasing number of pet-owning households, the district will launch various pet support projects this year. Among them, the pet dog care shelter, which has been highly requested by residents, will start from this Lunar New Year holiday to assist residents who cannot be with their dogs due to visiting hometowns or traveling.

The district has signed agreements with six local care service providers and will offer free care for up to four days during the Lunar New Year holiday. To this end, facilities and staffing standards of companies specializing in pet hoteling were thoroughly inspected on-site before selecting the entrusted providers. The service targets 100 dogs aged over 5 months and weighing less than 10kg that are registered, with one dog per household eligible to apply. Applications can be submitted via a Google Form on the district office website during the application period, and successful applicants will be announced on February 6 after screening.

As another new project this year, Gangnam-gu will fully cover the cost of implantation and procedure fees for microchips for animal registration (including both dogs and cats) for residents registered in Gangnam-gu. Residents wishing to apply should bring a resident registration certificate issued within one month and visit designated animal hospitals within Gangnam-gu. Additionally, if they complete related education at the Animal Love Learning Center and submit the certificate, they can receive a waiver of the statutory fees incurred during registration.

Last year’s popular pet dog mobile playground will also be operated six times this year. Using spacious locations such as the district office parking lot and Gaepo Seogeun Neighborhood Park, the mobile playground will allow urban dogs to run freely without leashes, and various events for dogs and their owners will be held.

Furthermore, various projects to establish a proper pet culture, such as a dog behavior correction academy and children’s animal protection education, will continue to be promoted.

Starting February, the district will officially operate “Our Neighborhood Pet Boarding,” a service allowing socially vulnerable groups such as basic livelihood security recipients who have difficulty caring for their dogs due to hospitalization or other reasons to entrust their dogs to local boarding facilities.

Additionally, Gangnam-gu Animal Protection Center plans to operate a “Lost and Abandoned Animal Adoption Support” program that provides up to 250,000 KRW for medical expenses within six months after adoption to those who adopt animals from the center.

Jo Seong-myeong, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, said, “We will expand various new projects this year to support the happy daily lives of pets and their families,” adding, “We will do our best to create a mature pet culture in Gangnam where pet-owning households coexist harmoniously with their neighbors.”