A dog poses for a photo during a pet show in Seoul, in this Dec. 15, 2024, file photo. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEJONG, Jan. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — More than three out of 10 pet owners in South Korea adopt their companion animals from acquaintances, making it the most common route of adopting pets, a government poll showed Wednesday.
According to the poll conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, 35.5 percent of pet owners here adopted their pets from acquaintances, while 26.2 percent purchased their pets from shops and 12.2 percent adopted them from animal shelters.
The survey was conducted in September on 5,000 South Koreans aged between 20 and 64 years old.
The poll further revealed that 10.8 percent of the owners paid a fee to adopt pets from acquaintances.
In terms of the costs of raising a pet, respondents said they spent an average 142,300 won (US$99.4) per month, with dogs having the highest expenses at 175,200 won, followed by cats at 130,400 won and birds at 50,800 won.
The poll also showed that 87.8 percent of the respondents supported banning individuals who have previously committed animal abuse from owning a pet.
More than 75 percent of those surveyed were aware of the country’s Animal Protection Act, marking a sharp rise from 57.1 percent in 2020, the survey added.
(Yonhap)
