Gangwon Province Achieves Zero Euthanasia of Abandoned Animals, Declares "Euthanasia-Free Zone"

Three Key Initiatives: Modernization of Shelters, Increased Budget for Feed and Labor, and Promotion of Adoption
Rescue and Protection Budget Increased from 600 Million to 1.1 Billion Won... No More Euthanasia to Save on Feed Costs

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) announced on November 10 that it has achieved zero euthanasia due to lack of space for abandoned animals after declaring the 'Zero Euthanasia of Abandoned Animals Initiative' in July 2022.

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province achieved zero euthanasia of abandoned animals after declaring the 'Zero Euthanasia of Abandoned Animals Initiative' in July 2022. Kim Jin-tae, Governor of Gangwon Province, is seen running with his pet dog. Courtesy of Gangwon Province

The 'Zero Euthanasia of Abandoned Animals Initiative' was declared by Governor Kim Jin-tae on July 21, 2022, during his visit to the Wonju Abandoned and Lost Animal Protection and Management Center. At that time, he emphasized, "There should be no cases in Gangwon Province where animals are euthanized simply because of a lack of shelter facilities."

Although it is realistically difficult to completely eliminate euthanasia, as of the end of September 2025, the euthanasia rate in the province stands at 9.1%, which is 6.7 percentage points lower than the national average of 15.8%. Compared to 19.5% in 2022, before the current administration, the rate has been reduced by nearly half.

In particular, at the time, Governor Kim stressed the need to eliminate euthanasia caused by insufficient shelter space. Currently, Gangwon Province has achieved zero euthanasia due to lack of space, with the 9.1% euthanasia rate now solely attributed to animals suffering from illness.

Since 2022, the province has focused on expanding shelter facilities and increasing the budget to prevent euthanasia caused by insufficient space.

The number of animal protection centers increased from 8 in 2022 to 15 in 2024, and to 17 in 2025, an increase of 9 centers. The budget for animal feed and labor costs for rescuing and protecting abandoned animals was expanded from 600 million won in 2022 to 1.1 billion won in 2025.

With the expansion of shelter space, the number of abandoned animals under protection increased from 532 in 2022 to 802 as of September 2025. The province also actively promoted adoption to further encourage the adoption of these animals.

In addition, the province has actively utilized private pet foster care and extended the protection period from the previous 10 days to more than 50 days, continuing to improve the system with a focus on protecting life.

This year, the Gangneung Pet Support Center began operations, providing not only protection for abandoned animals but also serving as an integrated welfare space equipped with education, playgrounds, behavioral correction, and other educational, experiential, and therapeutic functions.

The center, built with a provincial budget of 9.4 billion won, opened on November 6 and is located at 92-136 Jungangseo-ro, Sacheon-myeon, Gangneung-si. The facility consists of one basement floor and two above-ground floors.

Kim Jin-tae, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, stated, "Zero euthanasia of abandoned animals has already been achieved, making Gangwon Province a euthanasia-free zone. There are no longer cases in Gangwon Province where animals are euthanized due to a lack of feed budget or insufficient shelters."

He added, "We have systematically approached this goal in three directions: modernization of protection centers, increased budget support for feed and labor costs, and promotion of adoption. In particular, even an increase of about 500 million won in the budget for feed support and facility expansion has brought about significant change. I ask for your continued interest in the newly opened Pet Support Center."

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