[Report] "Animals Are Not Objects"... A Hope Cafe Giving Abandoned Dogs a New Life

Urban Stray Animal Adoption Cafe 'Balladang'
Opened in April by Leasing a Closed Dog Cafe
60 of 86 Rescued Stray Dogs Adopted
"Neutering and Animal Registration Essential to Prevent Abandonment"

Stray dogs waiting for new owners at Baladang, a stray dog adoption center located in Jegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, on the 13th./Photo by Joohee Kang kjh818@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] "Animals are not objects."

On the 28th of last month, a revision to the Civil Act recognizing animals as animals themselves rather than objects passed the State Council. This change came as a result of the increasing number of pet owners and growing interest in animal rights, raising awareness that animals should be respected as living beings. Along with this, the government announced plans to improve the pet management system and pledged to minimize the occurrence of abandoned animals.

However, animals are still frequently treated like objects rather than living beings. Last year, the number of lost and abandoned animals found in Korea reached a staggering 130,401. This means that about 357 animals are found on the streets every day. Rescued abandoned animals stay in shelters for a certain period (about 10 days), and if their owners are not found or they are not adopted during this time, they inevitably face the risk of euthanasia.

We visited 'Balladang,' an adoption cafe for abandoned animals located in Jegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, which serves as a bridge to rescue animals in such crises and help them meet new owners. In April, Seoul City and the animal protection organization 'Happy World with Animals (Donghaeng)' leased a closed dog cafe to establish Balladang Cafe. The purpose was to activate abandoned animal adoption by setting up an adoption cafe in a conveniently accessible urban area.

Since 2013, Donghaeng has been conducting rescue activities for various animals including dogs and cats, and currently directly manages the rescue, protection, and adoption procedures of abandoned animals at Balladang Cafe. Through Balladang Cafe, Donghaeng has rescued a total of 86 abandoned dogs so far, successfully facilitating the adoption of 60 of them. They also plan to reach a goal of 150 adoptions within this year.

When the Asia Economy reporters visited Balladang on the 13th, six abandoned dogs were waiting for new owners. All of them were rescued by Donghaeng just before facing euthanasia. Donghaeng supports necessary treatment, rehabilitation, and temporary care for the abandoned dogs until they meet their owners.

Choi Migeum, director of Donghaeng, said, "The adoption rate of abandoned dogs rescued at Balladang Cafe is about 78%, which is quite high," adding, "We are trying our best to rescue and send them for adoption as close to our target as possible."

Abandoned dog Wari waiting for a new owner at Balladang adoption cafe.
Photo by Juhee Kang kjh818@asiae.co.kr

◆ The Most Important Quality for Adopting Abandoned Dogs is 'Responsibility'

Since adopting a living being is a serious responsibility, the procedure for adopting abandoned dogs is not simple. At Balladang, applicants must first submit an adoption application form equivalent to five pages of A4 paper. This process involves reviewing basic information such as the applicant’s family members, income, living environment, and current pets to check whether they can responsibly care for the adopted animal.

Afterward, counseling with the applicant takes about a week, and the suitability of the living space for the adopted animal is verified through photos and other means. Even after the adoption is completed, continuous checks are conducted to ensure the adopted animal is doing well.

Director Choi said, "Even after adoption, cases of dogs being abandoned still occur occasionally. To prevent this, we conduct thorough verification procedures," emphasizing, "Above all, we check whether the adopter can take full responsibility for the animal, whether the environment is suitable for harmony if there are existing pets, and whether the adopter can take the dog for walks once or twice daily. One must be prepared to take responsibility for the pet for about 15 years."

Go Eun-chae Baradang adoption cafe manager and Apple, a stray dog under protection at the cafe./Photo by Joohee Kang kjh818@asiae.co.kr

◆ To Reduce Abandoned Animals, Neutering and Animal Registration are Essential

As the number of pet owners increases, awareness of animal rights has also risen, but the number of lost and abandoned animals remains significant. According to the '2020 Survey on Pet Protection and Welfare' released by the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, 130,401 lost and abandoned animals were rescued and protected at animal protection centers last year. About 21% of these animals were euthanized. Although the number of lost and abandoned animals last year decreased compared to 135,791 in 2019, an average of 129,000 abandoned animals have occurred annually over the past three years.

What can pet owners do to prevent the occurrence of abandoned animals? Director Choi emphasized that 'neutering surgery' and 'animal registration' are the duties of pet owners. Neutering is necessary to control the animal population and can prevent unnecessary breeding that leads to animal abandonment.

Director Choi explained, "If there is no plan for your dog to give birth, it is best to have neutering surgery to prevent indiscriminate breeding, which is a cause of abandoned animals. Especially for dogs, not having neutering surgery or having it late can cause health problems such as reproductive organ diseases, so surgery has more positive effects."

She added, "Also, animal registration helps quickly and easily find the owner if a dog is lost and helps prevent cases of abandonment."

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