This undated file photo shows dogs at an animal shelter in Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of cases of animal abandonment reported in South Korea has dropped after COVID-19 kept pets and their owners indoors.
The Korean Animal Welfare Association reported Wednesday that there were 116,984 reported cases of animal abandonment registered with the animal protection management system last year, which was 9.1 percent lower than the previous year.
Among them, 84,136 cases dealt with dog abandonment, which was 10.9 percent lower than the previous year, and 31,421 cases dealt with cat abandonment, which was 4.1 percent lower than the previous year.
The introduction of social distancing measures and work-from-home policies drove pets and their owners to stay indoors, lowering the risk of abandoned animals.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs conducted a survey of 338 pet owners who had considered giving up their pets, 27.8 percent of whom wanted to abandon their pets because of the animal’s behavioral issues like barking.
As more people stayed at home during the pandemic era, animals were less exposed to the risk of separation anxiety and therefore less risk of behavioral issues, providing less incentives for pet owners to give up their pets.
While pets were one of the primary reasons they couldn’t travel during the pre-pandemic era, the travel restrictions that came after the coronavirus outbreak have taken away another reason for pet owners to be stressed out by their pets.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
