[Animal Welfare: Now Through Law and Policy] Animal Protection Serves People's Lives and National Interests

② From Emotional Bonds to Industry Growth

#A man in his 60s, identified only as Mr. A, was struggling with lethargy and depression after retirement. At his children's suggestion, he adopted a dog and regained his zest for everyday life. Caring for the dog every day and taking it for walks helped him restore his daily and physical rhythms, while bonding with the animal gave him the strength to start a new chapter in life. He is preparing to launch a dog-related business as he embarks on the next stage of his life.

Relationships with animals also affect emotional stability and quality of life. In a five-week program in which the Rural Development Administration paired 15 retirees aged 61 to 74 with dogs, participants' depression scores fell from 11.3 to 6.7, while levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, decreased by 38.8%.

“Pet humanization,” or treating animals like family members, is also driving industry growth. According to Data Bridge Market Research, the global dog food market is projected to grow from $71.24 billion in 2024 to $100.16 billion in 2032, while the dog clothing and accessories market is expected to expand from $15.32 billion in 2025 to $23.52 billion in 2033.

These changes create opportunities to link animal welfare with industrial competitiveness. When consumers take animals' health and living conditions into account, and companies reflect those concerns in their production and distribution processes, welfare standards can help differentiate products and build consumer trust. A study has also found that animal welfare and organic livestock labels influence consumers' willingness to pay more in the livestock products market.

Animal welfare is also connected to public health and costs. Animal health management is important for monitoring the risk of zoonotic diseases, while reducing the number of abandoned animals can help cut recurring costs for rescue, treatment, and care. Operating costs for animal protection centers nationwide rose 62.8% in three years, from 29.48 billion won in 2022 to 47.98 billion won in 2025. Experts say animal welfare is a policy priority that can improve people's quality of life, turn consumer choices into industrial innovation, and reduce the social burden of managing infectious diseases and abandoned animals.

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