"If You Love Your Pet, Learn How to Say Goodbye"… Gangseo-gu Launches Pet Funeral Tour Program

First of Its Kind Among Districts
Applications Accepted on a First-Come, First-Served Basis Until September 12

Gangseo-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Jin Kyohoon) has become the first autonomous district to launch a “Pet Funeral Tour” program and is now recruiting participants. The aim is to help people cope wisely with the sudden loss of their pets and to promote a proper culture of remembrance.

Pet funeral washing process. Provided by Gangseo-gu.

According to the 2024 Seoul Survey, 19.5% of households in Seoul have pets, and 36,638 pets are registered in Gangseo-gu. As more households treat their pets as family members, social interest in pet funeral practices is also increasing. However, due to a lack of detailed procedures and service information, many pet owners face difficulties.

In response, Gangseo-gu has planned this tour program to reflect the changing funeral culture. On September 17, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., participants will visit a professional pet funeral hall in Seo-gu, Incheon, where they will experience and observe the funeral procedures with expert commentary.

The program will proceed in the following order: funeral procedures, columbarium facilities, and memorial programs. During the “funeral procedures” segment, participants will be guided through the steps of encoffining, cremation, enshrinement, and remembrance. The “columbarium facilities” segment will introduce various options for enshrinement, including tree burials and flower garden burials. The final “memorial program” segment will present ways to remember pets, such as memorial stones, urns, and photo frames.

Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis for up to 30 people until September 12, and any Gangseo-gu resident can participate free of charge. For more details, please check the announcements on the Gangseo Public Health Center website.

Jin Kyohoon, Mayor of Gangseo-gu, stated, “A pet funeral is a very important moment of farewell for pet owners,” and added, “I hope this tour program will help spread empathy and a warm perspective toward pets.”

Provided by Gangseo-gu.

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