Gangneung City Achieves 61% Adoption Rate for Abandoned Animals, Ranks First in Gangwon Province... Lowest Euthanasia Rate Nationwide

Gangneung City in Gangwon Province ranked first in the province for the adoption rate of rescued abandoned and lost animals over the past year.

Gangneung City ranked first in the province for the adoption rate of rescued abandoned and lost animals over the past year. Photo by Gangneung City

According to statistics from the National Animal Protection Information System as of December 1, Gangneung City achieved an adoption rate of 61%, successfully placing 285 out of 463 rescued animals into new homes domestically or overseas.

This ranks first among the 18 cities and counties in the province and far exceeds the national average adoption rate of 29% and the provincial average of 34%. In contrast, the euthanasia rate remains at the lowest level nationwide, as the city actively leads efforts to find new families for abandoned animals.

Gangneung City cited the "Gangneung City Pink Adoption Festival," which has been organized by the city since last year, as the primary reason for its significantly higher adoption rate compared to other regions.

The Gangneung City Pink Adoption Festival, an event promoting the adoption of abandoned animals, has been held five times to date at the Gangneung City Animal Love Center (Director Jang Hyuk). Of the cumulative 92 adoption counseling applications, 28 resulted in successful adoptions, establishing the event as a key offline platform for engaging with citizens.

Collaboration with the adoption platform Pawinhand and the exceptional dedication and care of the Gangneung City Animal Love Center staff toward abandoned animals are also major factors contributing to the high adoption rate.

Through a business agreement and collaboration with Pawinhand, the nation’s leading adoption platform for abandoned animals, Gangneung City was able to feature a total of 16 animals in the "Recommended Animals of the Month" section of the mobile app, leading to a dramatic increase in adoption demand.

The director and all staff members at the Gangneung City Animal Love Center also treat abandoned animals as family and are fully committed to the adoption process.

The adoption rate for abandoned animals in Gangneung City has increased annually, from 49% in 2023 to 56% in 2024, and reaching 61% in 2025. However, as public awareness grows that animal abandonment is a crime, the number of rescued cases is on the decline. Going forward, the continued expansion of adoption opportunities and the establishment of a mature adoption culture are expected to become key indicators of success.

Choi Doosoon, Director of Livestock at Gangneung City, stated, "We will continue our efforts at the city level to improve awareness of abandoned animals and to establish a mature adoption culture. When Gangneung City Pet Park, a companion animal park, opens in the first half of next year, we plan to showcase adoption events that actively reflect our accumulated experience for both citizens and visitors."

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