Hanam City Implements Stray Cat Protection Measures in Gyosan New Town... Balancing Development and Animal Welfare

by Lee jonggu

Pubilshed 13 Aug.2025 11:51(KST)

Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Hyunjae) has developed an 'Animal Protection and Management Manual' to safeguard stray cats and other animals inhabiting the Gyosan New Town development district. The city has distributed the manual to LH, the project developer, and other construction companies, requesting that it be implemented on-site.

Hanam City Hall view. Provided by Hanam City

According to Hanam City on August 13, the manual was distributed to minimize potential harm to animals during demolition and construction processes in the Gyosan New Town area. This action was taken in response to recent citizen complaints and feedback from animal organizations calling for measures to rescue and protect stray cats in the Gyosan district.

The manual includes detailed guidelines such as: ▲prioritizing the identification of animal habitats before demolition; ▲implementing measures to encourage animals to escape, such as spraying water or inducing vibrations; ▲ensuring a passageway of approximately 15 centimeters for animal movement when installing barriers; and ▲immediately reporting any found stray animals to city hall. The city has conveyed these guidelines to LH and the construction companies and has instructed site personnel to comply with them in the field.

Additionally, the city is considering measures to encourage voluntary relocation of animals by installing temporary feeding stations. Once relocation is completed, these feeding stations will be dismantled and notices will be posted to inform of the cessation of feeding. To control the stray cat population, the budget for the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program has been increased from the initial 350 cats to 450 cats.

A Hanam City official stated, "We will do our utmost to prevent animal harm in advance during the Gyosan New Town development process and to rescue and protect stray and abandoned animals such as stray cats." The official added, "We will continue to work with Gyeonggi Province and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to ensure safe relocation and protection."