Temporary Protection of Abandoned Animals—Learn and Participate Through Online Learning Platform GSEEK

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hun] Starting in June this year, residents of Gyeonggi Province will be able to learn online about the methods of participating in the 'Temporary Protection Program for Abandoned Animals' and important matters to know when serving as a temporary caregiver.

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 4th that it will open and operate a 'Temporary Protection Course for Rescued and Protected Animals' through the 'Gyeonggi Province Free Online Lifelong Learning Platform GSEEK'.

The 'Temporary Protection Program for Abandoned Animals' is a project operated by Gyeonggi Province since February this year to support the temporary care of animals rescued and protected at directly-operated animal protection centers located in four municipalities including Suwon, Yongin, Goyang, and Yangpyeong, and to facilitate adoption by general households.

While households wishing to participate in the temporary protection program must complete the 'temporary protection lecture' at an animal protection center, the online education course in non-face-to-face format was prepared considering the difficulty of conducting offline education amid COVID-19 prevention measures.

The online education consists of a total of three courses, with Professor Cho Yun-joo from Seojeong University, who serves as a member of the Gyeonggi Province Animal Welfare Committee, participating as an instructor.

Participants can easily learn an overview of the temporary protection program, essential matters to understand when participating in the program, feeding methods for dogs and cats, hygiene and disease management, and emergency response procedures.

Students who complete the online education will receive a completion certificate. After contacting a directly-operated animal protection center for guidance on participation procedures, they can participate in the temporary protection program by submitting a copy of the completion certificate, a temporary protection application form, and consent form.

This education can be accessed anytime and anywhere by visiting the GSEEK website (www.gseek.kr) through PC or mobile. In particular, anyone interested in animal protection can take the course, not just households wishing to participate in the temporary protection program.

The province plans to provide animal feed and related supplies necessary for caring for animals to households participating in the temporary protection program, and will also provide medical services through center veterinarians. The temporary protection period is a maximum of two months, and adoption is available upon request.

The province expects that more protected animals will be able to return to warm family homes through this temporary protection course. To this end, the province plans to strengthen education capacity related to temporary protection and to operate the 'Temporary Protection Program' sustainably going forward.

Seo Kyung-hwa, head of the Animal Protection Policy Team, stated, "This online education has been prepared to establish a correct culture of adopting abandoned animals," and expressed hope that "young animals, animals requiring treatment, and animals experiencing stress in shelters can regain healthy lives in warm homes with temporary caregivers."

For more information on the temporary protection program application and other details, please contact the Gyeonggi Province Animal Protection Division (031-8030-4416) or directly-operated animal protection centers (Suwon: 031-228-3317, Yongin: 031-324-3470, Goyang: 031-8075-4602, Yangpyeong: 031-770-2337).