'Guardians of Everyday Safety': Suwan-dong Companion Dog Patrol Squad in Gwangsan-gu Surpasses 1,900 Patrols

Since September Last Year, 34 Teams in the First Group Joined...

Second Group of 60 Teams to Launch in June

Reported 56 Everyday Hazards in the Community

"Improving Perceptions of Companion Animals and Village Safety"

On a night with a light drizzle, in a back alley of Suwan-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, the companion dog 'Yongyongi' stopped in its tracks during a patrol that doubled as a walk. Resident A, who was walking alongside, discovered an intoxicated citizen collapsed in a dark corner toward which Yongyongi had turned. When the person did not respond to the dog's barking, Resident A immediately called 112, and the police who arrived on the scene ensured the citizen returned home safely, bringing the situation to a close. It was a moment when an ordinary walk transformed into a patrol that protected neighborhood safety.

The companion dog patrol squad in Suwan-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, is acting as a guardian of everyday safety while patrolling the village alleys.

According to Suwan-dong in Gwangsan-gu on April 21, the companion dog patrol squad was launched as part of the "Suwan-dong Future Development Plan." The initiative began with the residents' desire to create a safe village environment and to promote proper awareness of companion animals.

Members of the Companion Dog Patrol and officials from the Suwan Precinct in Suwan-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, are taking a commemorative photo in front of the Suwan Precinct after completing a joint patrol activity. Provided by Gwangsan-gu

The squad began its activities in September of last year. A total of 34 teams, each consisting of a companion dog and its guardian, are participating, combining individual voluntary patrols with regular joint patrols. By utilizing their regular walking times to monitor various corners of the alleys, they have checked for residents' inconveniences and potential hazards. As of March this year, the accumulated number of patrols has surpassed 1,902.

On the 1st of this month, the squad collaborated with the Suwan Police Substation to conduct a joint patrol, focusing on commercial areas and nighttime crime-prone zones. The patrol not only checked for security vulnerabilities but also included educational sessions to strengthen the patrol squad's capabilities, with a professional trainer invited for this purpose.

So far, the patrol squad has reported 56 cases of everyday hazards in the neighborhood, including broken streetlights, damaged pavement blocks, abandoned electric scooters, and illegal parking. Their consistent attention to minor irregularities in residents' daily lives is leading to improvements in the village environment.

Suwan-dong plans to expand the scale of the squad based on the achievements of the first group. Starting this month, new participants living with companion dogs will be recruited and screened, with the goal of launching the second group of patrol squads—comprising a total of 60 teams—around June.

Im Eun-jin, chief of Suwan-dong, stated, "The activities of the companion dog patrol squad are improving perceptions of companion animals and creating a virtuous cycle in which residents themselves make the village safer. We will continue to broaden the foundation for more dog owners to participate in social activities so that the mutually beneficial companion animal culture envisioned in the Suwan-dong Future Development Plan can take root."

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