"If Sharing with Others Is Difficult, Healing from Pet Farewell in the 'Sup'"

A healing camp is being operated to help those who have parted with their pets regain mental health in the forest.

The Korea Forest Welfare Institute’s National Forest Healing Center recently announced on the 25th that it held the ‘Naemamsseudam Healing Camp’ for pet owners suffering from Pet Loss Syndrome in the Bonghyeon-myeon area of Yeongju-si, Gyeongbuk Province.

Pet Loss Syndrome refers to the symptoms of complex emotions (grief) such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder that persist after losing a pet who lived like family.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ ‘2022 National Awareness Survey on Animal Protection,’ currently one in four people in Korea owns a pet, and among them, 49.8% of pet owners who have witnessed the death of their pets reported experiencing Pet Loss Syndrome.

The sense of loss from losing a pet was linked to psychological turmoil in pet owners who had devoted their hearts and spent a lot of time living with their pets.

Moreover, considering the current era where the population living with pets has exceeded 10 million, Pet Loss Syndrome among pet owners is also seen as a social phenomenon that cannot be taken lightly.

Accordingly, the Forest Healing Center planned and conducted the healing camp to support pet owners who lost their pets to overcome psychological turmoil such as guilt, depression, and lethargy through forest healing and recover their daily lives.

The healing camp was first held on the 20th and will be additionally operated once each in July, September, and October.

The main programs include Pet Loss Clinic, Embracing the Forest, Water Healing Experience, Log Meditation, Singing Bowl Meditation, and making wooden photo frames to cherish memories with pets.

The previously held healing camp provided pet owners with an opportunity to share the grief that was difficult to share with their families and to relieve the accumulated sorrow through participation in the programs.

Participant A said, “Just having time to understand and communicate about the loss of a pet was comforting,” and added, “I want to recommend the healing camp to those who have had a hard time after losing a beloved pet but have not been able to share their grief with others.”

Any pet owner who has lost a pet can participate in the healing camp. For more detailed information about the healing camp, please check the Korea Forest Welfare Institute’s ‘Soope-rang’ National Forest Healing Center.

Nam Taeheon, Director of the Forest Welfare Institute, said, “I hope that citizens who have experienced parting with their pets can fully receive recognition and comfort through the forest and have an opportunity to overcome their grief,” and added, “The Forest Welfare Institute will continue to strive to ensure that citizens exhausted by the pain of loss and emotional burnout can be healed in the forest.”

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