Gangdong-gu, Why Did They Attempt AI-Based Stray Animal Protection and Management?

Introducing advanced technology in stray animal management through collaboration with animal protection groups and tech companies to replace volunteer support lost in the With Corona era

Abandoned dog from Gangdong-gu Abandoned Animal Adoption Center Ribbon meeting an AI robot for the first time

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jung-hoon) is promoting a pilot project for the protection and management of abandoned animals using artificial intelligence, aiming to replace the helping hands of volunteers?whose visits have ceased since the COVID-19 outbreak?with advanced technology through cooperation with private animal protection organizations and technology companies.

Since the domestic pet population surpassed 10 million, more than 100,000 abandoned animals have appeared annually. In this reality, volunteers offering helping hands to care for these abandoned animals have been a great support in operating shelters.

However, since January this year, as COVID-19 spread worldwide and the World Health Organization declared a pandemic due to the severity of the situation, visits by volunteers to shelters have virtually stopped, and shelters in various regions are operating under difficult conditions with only their own staff.

Accordingly, Gangdong-gu, the nonprofit organization Urban Dog-Free City, and LG Uplus have joined hands to actively respond to the With-Corona era by utilizing next-generation advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).

They plan to introduce artificial intelligence into the abandoned animal protection facilities operated by the district and promote a pilot project that accumulates big data, including trial and error during the research process.

Specifically, through artificial intelligence, it is possible to easily monitor the health status of protected animals by checking the adaptation status of abandoned animals that require continuous observation due to disease, disability, or abnormal behavior, or those recently admitted to the facility, through activity observation.

Additionally, by controlling an AI snack robot via a smartphone app, animals under protection can be played with with low labor intensity, and without management personnel, AI can be set to interact with the animals at scheduled times, periodically distributing snacks while simultaneously providing exercise effects combined with training.

Lee Jung-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, said, "AI technology and equipment will be very useful in the protection and management activities of abandoned animals, which may be vulnerable health-wise," and added, "Social contribution activities utilizing the creativity and technological capabilities of private technology companies and animal protection civic groups amid the unprecedented crisis of the COVID-19 situation are expected to be a great force in overcoming this crisis."

Gangdong-gu has been devoting great effort to spreading animal welfare and life-respecting culture in the local community by opening and operating the abandoned animal adoption center ‘Reborn’ in 2017 to activate the adoption of abandoned animals by residents.

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