‘Suhonje’ Ceremony to Comfort the Spirits of Abandoned Animals Held in Daejeon

A Shuhonje (Beast Soul Ritual) to comfort the souls of abandoned animals was held in Daejeon.

On the 29th, a memorial ceremony for abandoned animals was held at the Daejeon Animal Protection Center. Provided by Daejeon City

On the 30th, the Daejeon Animal Protection Office announced that it held a Shuhonje the day before to comfort the souls of animals that died while being cared for at the Animal Protection Center.

The Shuhonje was organized to console the souls of lost and abandoned animals under the center's care that either sacrificed their lives due to not finding new families or died naturally from illness, and to raise awareness of the preciousness of life.

The Shuhonje proceeded in the order of preparing an altar with the animal's favorite feed and snacks, offering flowers, reading a memorial address, and a moment of silent prayer.

Previously, the office had held the Shuhonje annually. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors, the ritual was suspended for three years and resumed this year after the hiatus.

The number of lost and abandoned animals in the Daejeon area has been steadily decreasing: 4,843 in 2019, 3,217 in 2020, 2,112 in 2021, and 1,786 in 2022.

However, among the animals admitted to the center last year, 40% were returned to their owners, 34% found new families through adoption, but 24% faced death through euthanasia or natural causes.

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