Suncheon City Promotes Various Policies for a Pet-Friendly City

Opening of Pet Culture Center and Outdoor Playground, and More

Suncheon City, South Jeolla Province (Mayor Noh Gwan-gyu) announced that it is implementing various policies to create a 'pet-friendly city' where both people and animals can be happy, in response to the era of 15 million pet owners.

Currently, there are about 18,000 registered pet dogs in Suncheon, and including pet cats, one out of every four households is raising a pet.

Suncheon City has opened a Pet Culture Center and a Public Clinic for Abandoned Pets to create a "Pet-Friendly City" where both people and animals can be happy, in response to the era of 15 million pet owners. Photo by Suncheon City

Photo by Suncheon City

In line with this trend, the city opened the region's first Pet Culture Center and Public Animal Clinic for Abandoned Pets in Honam in 2023.

The Pet Culture Center provides facilities for pets such as playrooms and showers, and offers various classes through the Pet Citizen School, covering topics from socialization and etiquette education to dog sports and behavioral correction, supporting both the emotional and physical development of pet dogs. In addition, the center operates a 'Pet Interaction Camp' for local daycare and elementary school students, helping them understand the characteristics of pet dogs, learn pet etiquette in daily life, and gain psychological stability through interaction activities.

Suncheon’s Public Animal Clinic for Abandoned Pets, the second to open nationwide, treated over 1,200 abandoned animals last year alone. This year, the clinic will expand its services to include pets owned by vulnerable groups and will operate on Sundays and holidays to respond to pet emergencies.

Since the 1st of this month, a temporary outdoor pet playground has opened in front of the Pet Culture Center and will officially open at the end of March. The outdoor playground, conveniently located in the city and connected to the Dongcheon walking trail and the culture center, completes a multi-purpose pet park.

This year, the city plans to operate a 'Pet Volunteer Group' composed of pet dogs and their owners to promote pet culture. About 20 teams of dogs and guardians will be selected from among citizens to patrol local areas during walks and monitor community safety. In emergencies, they will serve as neighborhood safety keepers by connecting with services such as 112 or the KakaoTalk Ilsacheonri Suncheon reporting system.

Additionally, the city will participate in various events to promote pet etiquette and animal protection campaigns, aiming to improve pet culture.

To encourage the adoption of abandoned animals, the city will regularly hold 'Adoption Day' events and, in October, will host the 'Pet Culture Festival,' a celebration where both pet owners and non-owners can participate and enjoy together.

A city official stated, "We will spread and establish a mature pet culture through diverse programs and activities to create a city where both pets and people can be happy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.