SEOUL, July 23 (Yonhap) — The number of dogs and cats registered in South Korea rose 7.6 percent on-year in 2023, data showed Tuesday.
The figure reached 3.28 million in 2023, up from 3.05 million the previous year, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Dogs accounted for 3.24 million of the registrations, while cats made up approximately 40,000.
In 2024, the number of newly registered dogs and cats came to 271,000, a decrease of 10.4 percent compared with the previous year.
In South Korea, dog owners are required to register their pets with the authorities, while cat registration remains optional, as part of an effort to reduce the number of stray animals.
The data also showed that 60.9 percent of new pet owners were women. By age group, those in their 40s represented 25.1 percent of new pet owners, followed by those in their 30s at 22.1 percent.
The number of stray pets rescued in 2024 was 113,000, a slight decrease of 0.3 percent from the previous year.
Among the rescued animals, 39.2 percent were either returned to their owners or found new homes. Meanwhile, 27.6 percent died of natural causes, and 18 percent were euthanized.
The total number of animal shelters operated by regional governments across the country came to 228, down 11 from a year earlier.
The amount of funding for such shelters, however, increased by 26.8 percent year-on-year to reach 37.4 billion won (US$26.9 million) in 2024.
This file photo taken May 5, 2024, shows a dog participating in a festival held on the southern resort island of Jeju. (Yonhap)
colin@yna.co.kr
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