Neutering of Abandoned Stray Cats... What Happened Next

Goyang-si Neuters 141 Stray Cats... Effective Population Control
Reduction in Stray Cat Abuse, Improved Awareness of Stray Cats

Gyeonggi-do Stray Cat Neutering Project [Provided by Gyeonggi-do]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Recently, a nationwide outrage erupted over an incident where a cat was injured by an arrow, drawing attention to the results of the stray cat neutering project conducted in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province.

According to Gyeonggi Province and Goyang City on the 16th, the province introduced and implemented the 'Stray Cat Neutering Day' starting this year.

Unlike the sporadic efforts previously carried out, the project aims to select specific areas to increase the effectiveness of controlling the stray cat population through focused capture and neutering surgeries.

This year, Seongsa 1 and 2-dong in Goyang City, areas known for frequent complaints about stray cats and expected to lose many habitats due to redevelopment, were selected as the project sites. The project was conducted four times from May to November.

In Seongsa-dong alone, a total of 141 stray cats (78 females and 63 males) were neutered: 40 in May, 30 in June, 40 in October, and 31 in November, resulting in effective control of the exponentially increasing stray cat population.

In fact, the number of abandoned stray kittens admitted to the local animal shelter in Seongsa 1 and 2-dong was 12 in 2017, 13 in 2018, and 14 last year, but this year it dropped to only 3.

This project compensated for the shortcomings of city and county projects where sporadic neutering due to complaints had low effectiveness in population control.

The project was carried out through a public-private cooperative system involving local volunteers, veterinary hospital veterinarians, university students, and animal protection activists.

Gyeonggi Province was responsible for project promotion, drug support, and capture-release assistance, while neutering surgeries were cooperated by Professor Jo Yoon-joo of Seojeong University, volunteer veterinarians, and the Goyang City Veterinary Association. The capture, post-surgery care, and release of stray cats were performed by Goyang City animal protection activists (Cat Mom Association) volunteers.

In addition, efforts to prevent animal abuse and promote pet policies were carried out to resolve related complaints and improve local residents' awareness of stray cats.

Kim Jeong-hee, an animal protection activist in Goyang City who participated in the project, said, "There were many hardships, such as staying up all night to capture stray cats and postponing work to care for them after surgery," adding, "Seeing the noticeable decrease in abandoned kittens and the reduction of territorial fights among neighborhood cats gives me a sense of fulfillment."

Gyeonggi Province plans to continue this project next year and intends to expand it to all cities and counties by publicizing the purpose and achievements of the project.

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