Pet Assistance & Support Programs in Gyeonggi-do, Korea

Good news for pet owners! The province helps you take extra care of your pet by various support programs such as pet insurance & dog sharing centers

Many people predicted that the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic would lead to the abandonment of pets. However, people who have spent more time at home due to lock-downs and telecommuting have become more interested in adopting pets. In the U.S., the newly coined term "pandemic puppy" has emerged, reflecting the dog adoption trend that has emerged during the pandemic.

The prolonged pandemic has also increased the number of people suffering from depression. The adoption of a pet has becoming popular among people as a means to alleviate depression, especially as time spent at home increases. They say that the emotional support provided by pets helps to relieve depression, thus serving as a vital part of life.

The problem is that hasty adoption can become a huge burden later on. Even though a pet was adopted, it is often not properly raised because the adopter was not truly ready.

In response, the Gyeonggi Assistant Dog Sharing Center launched a pet adoption campaign to encourage proper adoption culture.

Gyeonggi Province is also actively implementing policies for pet-related industries.

Gyeonggi Assistant Dog Sharing Center

The Gyeonggi Assistant Dog SharingCenter is a specialized adoption agency run by Gyeonggi-do that selects abandoned animals that have not found homes, then provides treatment and training for free adoption of the animals as helpers or companions.

Gyeonggi Assistant Dog Sharing Center has been a shelter for abandoned animals waiting for adoption

ⓒGyeonggi Province

- Address: 181-15, Madogongdan-ro 1-gil, Mado-myeon, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do

- Contact: 031-8008-6721~4

Since last year, the center has received inquiries about the adoption of dogs not only by phone or through its website, it also through a growing number of in-person visits.

In March 2020, the center estimated that 57 puppies were adopted by new families, twice as many as last year’s monthly average, and the cumulative number of adopted dogs from 2013 to March 2020 exceeded 1,400.

In particular, many families with children in elementary, middle, and high school are knocking on the doors of the center. The center explained that more parents are turning to the adoption of pets as kids spend more time at home than with friends at schools or academies.

Gyeonggi-do Pet Insurance Support Project

Gyeonggi Province, along with the cities of Namyangju, Gwacheon, and Seongnam, is implementing a project to support pet insurance policies for provincial residents who participate in the pet registration system.

This project has been operated by Gyeonggi Province from 2020 so as to minimize conflicts caused by companion animals, such as in biting incidents, as well as to bolster the companion animal registration system with the aim of discouraging the abandonment of animals.

The main goal is to provide coverage for hospitalization, surgery, and treatment costs for dogs injured in accidents, as well as to cover damage involving people, property and other pets.

Seongnam City has been operating pet insurance support for those who have completed registering their companion dogs 

ⓒGyeonggi Province

Residents of the cities of Namyangju, Gwacheon, and Seongnam (which have signed agreements for project implementation), as well as all residents who have fulfilled the requirements of registering companion dogs and procuring embedded chips, are automatically eligible for enrollment without any separate procedures.

In the cases of Namyangju City and Seongnam City, injury treatment costs of up to KRW 2 million per year are covered, and compensation liability is guaranteed within a limit of KRW 5 million per year, while Gwacheon City's guaranteed limit is KRW 3 million per year for injury treatment and KRW 10 million for compensation.

The insurance period applies to Namyangju City from August 1, 2020, to July 31, 2021, Gwacheon City from September 8, 2020, to September 7, 2021, and Seongnam City from November 20, 2020 to November 19, 2021.

However, if a new internal registration is received during this period, a period of one year from the date of registration approval is applied. In addition, insurance payments that are incurred within this period are guaranteed to be made after the insurance period expires.

There are no restrictions on dog age, medical history, or breed, but the compensation rate, payment amount, deduction amount, and so on may vary depending on the city/county and insurance company.

Gyeonggi Province anticipates that the project will help stabilize the pet registration system and reduce the abandonment of animals, thereby contributing to reduced social costs.