Incheon Companion Animal Welfare Center to Open in October as Hub for Animal Welfare

The Incheon Metropolitan Government will begin full operation of the ‘Incheon Metropolitan City Companion Animal Welfare Center’, built in Cheonghak-dong, Yeonsu-gu, starting in October. The center will serve as a regional hub for animal welfare, covering everything from the checkup and treatment of sheltered animals to socialization, adoption counseling and citizen education.

[코리안투데이] A view of the Incheon Metropolitan City Companion Animal Welfare Center © 장형임 기자

The Incheon Metropolitan Government (Mayor Park Chan-dae) announced that it will begin full operation in October of the ‘Incheon Metropolitan City Companion Animal Welfare Center’, built in Cheonghak-dong, Yeonsu-gu, to respond to the growing number of households raising companion animals and to raise the level of animal welfare.

The Companion Animal Welfare Center was built with a total floor area of 782 square meters in the former Munhak Tunnel management building at 217-55 Cheonghak-dong, Yeonsu-gu. A total of 3.903 billion won was invested, including 310 million won in national funding and 3.593 billion won in city funding. In reviving an underused existing facility as a space for animal welfare, the project also carries significance as a case of repurposing idle public assets.

The center supports the checkup and treatment of sheltered animals, as well as socialization, behavioral correction and adoption counseling. Rather than simply housing abandoned animals, it is structured to handle in one place the entire process of restoring health, improving behavior and connecting animals to new homes. In addition, it plans to run companion animal education programs for citizens and community-linked programs, establishing itself as a comprehensive support hub that goes beyond animal protection to embrace companion animal welfare and a mature culture of pet companionship.

Alongside operating the center, the city will continue to promote policies to encourage animal registration and to prevent the loss and abandonment of animals. In particular, the pilot project for nose-print (nose-wrinkle) registration of dogs, launched in July this year, saw 226 dogs registered by September. Nose-print registration is a method of identifying dogs using the nose pattern that differs for each animal, and it is drawing attention as an alternative that can broaden participation among owners who felt burdened by the existing implanted microchip registration.

Going forward, the city plans to strengthen on-site promotion centered on multi-use facilities to raise citizens’ awareness of nose-print registration and expand participation. Furthermore, it intends to link animal protection, adoption, education and the spread of companion culture around the center, carrying out animal welfare policies that citizens can experience in their daily lives.

Kim Ik-jung, director-general of the city’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Bureau, said, ‘I hope the Companion Animal Welfare Center will establish itself as a central space that goes beyond animal protection to spread a proper culture of pet companionship,’ adding, ‘We will continue to strengthen animal welfare policies to create an environment where owners, non-owners and animals can live together.’

지역 홍보대사 신청 기자양성과정 신청 코리안투데이 지부장 신청 코리안투데이 인천강화