Apply When Adopting from the Animal Protection Center
Fostering a Culture of Caring for Stray Animals Expected
Gwangju City will fully cover one year of pet insurance premiums for citizens who become new families for stray animals.
On May 1, Gwangju City announced the implementation of the "Stray Animal Pet Insurance Support Project," which provides pet insurance coverage for those who adopt stray animals protected at the Gwangju City Animal Protection Center.
The "Safe Pet Insurance for Stray Animals Support Project" aims to reduce the financial burden associated with adopting stray animals whose age cannot be specified and who have no medical history, thereby increasing adoption rates and fostering a culture of caring for stray animals.
The city will cover the full cost of one year of pet insurance for companion animals adopted from the Animal Protection Center. Pet insurance is a product that provides partial coverage for medical expenses in the event of illness or injury to the animal.
The city will allocate a budget of 30 million won for this project, which will run from May until the funds are exhausted. The eligible recipients are those who have adopted stray animals from the Gwangju Animal Protection Center since January 1 of this year.
An average of 150,000 won will be provided per animal, and to minimize the process for adopters, applicants only need to fill out an application form when adopting a stray animal at the Gwangju Animal Protection Center.
Last year, the city became the first in the Honam region to implement the Safe Pet Insurance Support Project, providing pet insurance coverage for 263 animals (133 dogs and 130 cats). The pet insurance support project has led to an increase in the adoption rate. The city achieved a 3.9 percentage point increase in the stray animal adoption rate, from 22.8% in 2023 to 26.7% in 2024.
Nam Taeksong, Director of the Agricultural and Animal Policy Division, stated, "The pet insurance premium support project provides practical help to citizens interested in adopting stray animals, as it covers various accidents and illnesses that may occur during the process of raising companion animals. We will continue our efforts to establish stray animal adoption as a new culture of caring for companion animals."
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