Gyeonggi-do Holds Interim Meeting of Advisory Committee on Companion Animal Welfare Level Survey

Development of Companion Animal Welfare Indicators... Discussion on Policy Utilization and Collaborative Research
Incorporating Expert Opinions from Veterinary Medicine, Animal Welfare, and Various Fields
Realizing Happy Coexistence of Residents and Companion Animals... Deriving Effective Policies

Gyeonggi Province held an interim meeting of the Advisory Committee for the "Survey on the Current Status of Companion Animal Welfare" to advance companion animal welfare policies on the 7th at the Gyeonggi Provincial Council meeting room.

On the 7th, Gyeonggi Province held an interim meeting of the Advisory Committee for the ‘Research Service on the Actual Condition Survey of Companion Animal Welfare Levels’ at the Gyeonggi Provincial Council meeting room to advance companion animal welfare policies.

This interim meeting was held to review the progress since the commencement of the research service on the actual condition survey of companion animal welfare levels in the province in June this year. The meeting conducted a mid-term review of the research on ▲the actual condition survey and welfare indicator development of companion animal welfare levels in Gyeonggi Province ▲development of standard operating procedures for the operation and management of animal protection centers ▲preparation of measures to introduce a Gyeonggi-type certification system for companion animal-related businesses ▲and measures to improve companion animal welfare levels, while gathering in-depth opinions from advisory committee members on policy development directions.

Bang Seonghwan, Chair of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council Agriculture and Marine Committee, stated, “Companion animals are an important part of life, and animal welfare is a core element of human happiness. Gyeonggi Province will do its utmost through this service to systematically and continuously improve animal welfare.”

The province plans to complete the research service containing companion animal welfare policy content by April next year and will continuously collect opinions from experts in various fields such as veterinary medicine, animal welfare, law, and social policy.

Additionally, based on the results of the research service, it will be used to establish welfare indicators for evaluating companion animal welfare levels in the province, prepare guidelines related to the introduction of a Gyeonggi-type certification system for companion animal-related businesses for the province and city/counties, and propose measures to establish mid- to long-term directions for companion animal welfare policies and improve welfare levels.

Lee Gangyoung, Director of the Gyeonggi Province Livestock Animal Welfare Bureau, said, “This advisory committee and interim meeting are important processes for improving companion animal welfare levels in Gyeonggi Province,” adding, “We will do our best to specify companion animal welfare policies reflecting the characteristics of Gyeonggi Province and to prepare policies where residents and companion animals can be happy together.”