"Not a Dog... Won't Have Kids?" Pet Owners Suffering from Non-Pet Owners' Prejudice [Kim Suwan's Animal Report]

85.6% of Parenting Households Say "Pets Are Family Members"
"Dogs with Strollers? No Way", "Raising Pets with Kids Is a Big Problem" - Cases of Excessive Interference
Experts Say "Social Efforts to Respect Each Other Are Needed"

Recently, the number of pet families who consider their pets as family members has been increasing, but excessive criticism and undue interference toward pet owners continue to be problematic. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] "You should have a child, why do you only take your dog around?", "If you raise a child and a pet together, it will cause harm..."

As the number of 'Petfamjok' (Pet+Family) who consider pets as family members increases, excessive criticism and interference toward pet owners continue, causing conflicts between pet owners and non-pet owners. Experts suggest that since there may be differences in perception between pet owners and non-pet owners, social efforts to respect each other are necessary.

Actress Kim Wonhee appeared on last month's MBN educational program 'Everyone's Lecture, Listen to the Value' and said, "I chose not to have children," adding, "When my pet dog Gopdan was diagnosed with cancer and could no longer go for walks, I bought a large dog stroller. When I went out for a walk, some elderly people said, 'You should have a child, why are you taking a dog around?' After that, I couldn't take Gopdan outside anymore," sharing her painful experience raising a pet dog.

She also shed tears, saying, "Gopdan is like a daughter to us. To see Gopdan's last moments, my husband and I took turns caring for her for two weeks. At that time, I gave her the love I could never fully give in my life."

It appears that non-pet owners still hold unfavorable views toward pet owners. Recently, on an online community and 'GangsaMo' (a group that loves dogs), which boasts the largest membership related to pets, posts complaining about suffering have been continuously uploaded, such as "Is there a problem with raising only dogs without children?", "Keep your nosiness about pets harming babies to yourself," and "Please stop being interested in other people's pets."

One poster said, "We are a couple who have been raising only dogs without children for O years. We started raising dogs right after marriage. We wanted children, but after several failed procedures, both our bodies and minds were exhausted, so we decided to live just the two of us. Since we don't have children, the dog is just like my own child."

They continued, "But people's attitudes keep hurting me. There are stories that couples who raise only dogs without children look bad, and some people look at us pitifully and curse us for not having children but raising a dog."

A member who said they are raising both a dog and a child together said, "When we go for a walk together, it's basic to hear that you shouldn't raise a child and a dog together," adding, "When I sometimes carry the dog in a sling bag inside a building, I get scolded with comments like 'You should be holding the child, not the dog.'"

They added, "The child likes to walk and fusses to get down when held. The child is not a newborn but at an age to run around, yet I hear such unreasonable remarks," raising their voice, "We have never caused harm anywhere and follow etiquette well, so please stop being so nosy."

Conflicts between pet owners and non-pet owners continue to occur. According to a survey conducted last year by the animal-specialized media Happy Pet on 309 ordinary people, 59.2% responded that they had experienced conflicts due to pets.

The causes of conflicts were △'hostile behavior toward pets' (36.7%) △noise caused by pets (34.2%) △odor caused by pets (9.2%) △hostile behavior toward pet owners (8.2%) in order.

The most problematic behavior among non-pet owners was 'hostile behavior or reactions toward pets' at 67.6%, followed by 'making unpleasant remarks about pets' (58.6%), and 'touching pets without permission' (55.3%).

On March 21st, a pet dog was following a person at a pet hotel in Gaksan-dong, Dong-gu, Daegu. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

Given this situation, pet owners complain that they even feel self-conscious about walking their dogs.

Kim Mo (28), an office worker who has been raising a dog for three years, said, "Recently, my dog had leg problems, so I bought a dog stroller. But the reality is that I have to be cautious even about putting my dog in a stroller," adding, "People curse me saying it's a luxury item or an eyesore without knowing the circumstances. I don't expect understanding. I just want them to stop being interested."

Dog strollers are known to be essential for elderly dogs or dogs with patellar problems. This is not overprotection but consideration for pets with physical discomfort.

As a result, some point out the need to establish a culture that respects pet owners. Pet owners regard their pets as family members and life companions.

According to the '2018 Pet Report' by KB Financial Group Management Research Institute, which surveyed 1,700 men and women nationwide aged 20 and over, 85.6% of households with pets agreed with the statement "Pets are family members."

Also, in the previous survey, the top cause of conflicts due to pets was "lack of mutual understanding between pet owners and non-pet owners" (62.5%). This shows the awareness that pet owners and non-pet owners should understand and respect each other.

Experts pointed out that although the number of households raising pets is increasing, the level of awareness about this is still stagnant.

Professor Kim Seongho of the Department of Social Welfare at Seongseo University said, "In Korea, the pet culture has changed very rapidly. There hasn't been enough time for social awareness or culture to settle to keep up with this change," adding, "It is time for institutional support and policy measures that can properly care for pets."

He continued, "Invasion of others' privacy is being discouraged. Excessive interference or advice regarding pets should also be avoided," and suggested, "There can clearly be differences in perception between pet owners and non-pet owners. Some people may think a dog is just a dog. In such cases, it is important to respect each other and avoid criticism or interference."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.