Pet Adoption Center Opens in Downtown Suwon as Hub for Abandoned Animal Adoptions

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] The 'Gyeonggi Province Pet Adoption Center,' which will serve as a hub for spreading adoption culture for abandoned animals in urban areas, has opened in Suwon and begun official operations.

The 'Pet Adoption Center' is a space prepared to realize the animal welfare policy philosophy of Governor Lee Jae-myung's seventh popular election term: 'A Gyeonggi Province where people and animals are happy together.' The center is located on the 2nd and 3rd floors of Cheongjin Building in Ingye-dong, Paldal-gu, Suwon.

Notably, the center has established a hub-style adoption center that performs functions similar to the existing 'Gyeonggi Province Service Dog Sharing Center' in an urban area with convenient transportation via subway and buses and good accessibility, aiming to encourage more residents to participate in abandoned animal adoption.

By cooperating organically with the Service Dog Sharing Center located in Mado-myeon, Hwaseong, which has handled training and adoption of abandoned dogs, the center is expected to greatly contribute to minimizing euthanasia of abandoned animals and spreading proper pet adoption culture.

The center will perform functions to improve adoption rates of abandoned animals, such as free adoption of abandoned animals, and will conduct various cultural education programs for establishing proper pet culture, including education on respect for animal life.

Specifically, among abandoned dogs that have completed three weeks of basic behavioral training at the Service Dog Sharing Center, healthy dogs that have completed health checkups, neutering surgery, deworming and preventive vaccinations, and microchip implantation for pet registration will be adopted out.

Additionally, the center plans to conduct various educational and cultural programs including expert-invited lectures, pet etiquette education, and volunteer work and career exploration activities for middle school students and older.

For this purpose, in a total space of 362 square meters (110 pyeong, 2 floors), the center has installed an animal protection facility capable of accommodating up to 10 animals, as well as various facilities including a dog playground, lobby, grooming and bathing facilities, offices, pet cultural education room, multipurpose room, and conference room.

Operating hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., six days a week from Tuesday to Sunday. Mondays and public holidays are closed.

Residents wishing to adopt can visit the Pet Adoption Center directly or submit an adoption application through the Naver Cafe (cafe.naver.com/ggpetadoptioncenter) to proceed with adoption through consultation.

After that, prospective adopters receive education before adoption and receive basic supplies such as food, treats, and leashes.

The province plans to evaluate the center's performance outcomes and operational results and then expand it to other municipalities.

Lee Eun-kyung, director of the Animal Protection Division, said, "With the increase in pet-owning households due to single-person households and aging society, the number of abandoned animals is also increasing annually," and added, "The Pet Adoption Center is expected to play a key role in minimizing euthanasia of abandoned animals through active adoption and realizing proper pet culture."