Jeju holds first adoption festival for abandoned animals, with 20 shelter dogs seeking “new families”

【Financial News Jeju = Jeong Yong-bok, reporter】 Jeju, where 3,456 lost and abandoned animals entered shelters last year, held its first adoption festival, bringing animals in care together with prospective adopters so they could meet in person and explore the possibility of becoming a family.
According to Jeju Special Self-Governing Province on the 11th, the First Jeju Adoption Oreum Festival was held that day at the Second Animal Protection Center in Eoeum 2-ri, Aewol-eup, Jeju City. It was hosted by the province’s Animal Hygiene Testing Center and organized by Paw in Hand, an operator of an adoption platform for abandoned animals.
The first festival in Jeju dedicated to adopting abandoned animals, it was planned to find new families for animals in the care of shelters and encourage more residents to adopt.
The centerpiece of the event was a meet-and-greet area where animals in care and prospective adopters could meet in person. Twenty animals selected in advance took part. Guided by volunteers, attendees learned about the dogs’ personalities and behavioral traits and received adoption consultations.
A volunteer was assigned to each animal in care to introduce its characteristics and help it interact with attendees. By giving the animals an opportunity to meet people in a new environment, the event also gave prospective adopters a chance to consider whether they could care for a companion animal for its entire life.
A volunteer-led animal-walking activity was also held. Participants who signed up at the venue walked with an animal in care along a path on the grounds for 15 minutes each. The program let them spend time with an animal and observe its behavior and reactions before deciding whether to adopt it.

The circumstances surrounding animal protection in Jeju help explain why the event has drawn attention. According to the province, 3,456 lost and abandoned animals entered animal protection centers in Jeju last year: 2,736 dogs and 720 cats.
The numbers are trending down from 4,452 in 2023 and 3,886 in 2024, but thousands of animals still enter shelters every year.
The adoption rate at animal protection centers in Jeju stood at 18% in 2024. That year, 695 animals in care found new families, including 561 dogs and 134 cats.
The high proportion of animals euthanized is another challenge to address. In February this year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it had found that the proportion of animals euthanized at Jeju’s animal protection centers was higher than in other cities and provinces. It also outlined plans to expand shelter facilities and promote adoption to reduce euthanasia. This is why increasing adoptions of lost and abandoned animals is directly linked to easing the burden on shelters and protecting animal lives.
Jeju is also expanding the infrastructure for adopting animals in its care. The Second Animal Protection Center, where the festival was held, is a regional animal protection facility that opened last year in Eoeum 2-ri, Aewol-eup. It is part of the Companion Animal Welfare and Culture Center, together with a companion-animal park and a public animal cremation facility.
From January through September this year, 147 animals in the care of the Second Animal Protection Center found new families. The center recorded 1,188 visitors during the same period.

Cultural programs, including a book talk featuring actor Moon Jeong-hee and training on correcting problem behaviors in companion animals, are also being held to deepen public understanding of adopting animals in care and caring for companion animals.
The companion-animal park has also been expanded. A 735-square-meter area exclusively for large dogs was recently added, bringing the total area to 1,665 square meters. Separating areas for large dogs from those for medium and small dogs has improved safety. Since the 1st of this month, the park has operated by reservation through the Jeju Animal Protection Center website.
Efforts to find new families for animals in care outside Jeju, as well as within the province, are also continuing. Since signing an agreement with Jeju in 2023, Paw in Hand has supported the adoption of Jeju’s abandoned animals outside the province. From the signing of the agreement through September this year, 315 animals were adopted through Paw in Hand.
Because Jeju is an island, the areas where animals can be adopted and the logistics of transporting them are limited. Cooperation with a nationwide adoption platform is helping broaden adoption opportunities there.
Care after adoption is also an important issue. Veterinarians Na Eung-sik and Seol Chae-hyun spoke at the event, explaining how to properly care for dogs and cats. They shared information essential to responsible pet ownership, including how to help a newly adopted animal adjust to a new environment, health care, and understanding its behavioral traits.

Before adopting an animal in care, people should carefully consider the consent of family members, their living environment, the financial burden, and whether they can provide long-term care. In addition to increasing the number of adoptions, a support system is needed to help animals settle into stable lives after adoption.
Jeju Governor Wi Seong-gon also visited the event that day, interacting with animals in care and checking on the operation of the facilities. He toured the public animal cremation facility at the Companion Animal Welfare and Culture Center and the Second Animal Protection Center, among other sites, and encouraged staff on the ground. He also joined the animal-walking volunteer activity.
“Companion animals are family and friends who share our everyday lives,” Governor Wi said, stressing that “when deciding to adopt, we must also consider the responsibility of caring for them.” He added, “I will expand facilities related to companion animals in Jeju and establish policies so that people and their companion animals can live well together.”


[email protected] Jeong Yong-bok Reporter