According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, 25.4% of Korean households (602 million homes) owned pets as of 2022. Above all, of that 25.4%, 75.6% (545 million homes), up 5.2% since 2021, were raising dogs. The population of dog-owners has been increasing, and various regions have built facilities for dogs. In 2022, Jeonju city also built a playground for dogs, called “Gachigagae[같이가개] dog park (hereinafter referred to as Gachigagae)” in Palbok-dong.

● Welfare for Pets, Jeonju City Department of Animal Welfare

The Jeonju city Department of Animal Welfare was established in 2019 to make a pet-friendly city, the very first of its kind in Korea. The Department is carrying out various projects for animal welfare and coexistence with Jeonju citizens. As part of its program, it supports pet registration fees, and it built a dog park, which is the only dog park in Jeonju city.

● Best Place for Dogs to Play and Rest

‘Gachigagae’ is roughly 7000㎡ in diameter. From June 2022 to March 2023, 27,173 people visited the park with their dogs. At the entrance, there are signs bearing the name Gachigagae, and there is a parking lot for visitors. There is a square, yellow photo zone in the park where visitors can snap a picture. When facing away from the photo zone, the dog park is on the left, and on the right is the rest area, restrooms, and a management office for visitors. There are only two chairs and one picnic bench in the rest area currently, but Jeonju city is planning to add beverage vending machines and other convenient amenities.

The dog park is divided into two areas, one for small and medium sized dogs (height under 40cm) and another for large sized dogs (height over 40cm), in order to keep the dogs safe. Visitors have remarked that this is the most satisfying point of the park. This park is only available for pet-registered dogs to prevent dogs being abandoned here. For this reason, before entering the park, the manager checks whether the visitors’ dogs are registered. There are two types of pet registration: built-in and external. If some visitors use a built-in type, manager will inspect the chip by using a reader device. For the external type, the visitors must show a registration certificate. When visitors enter, they should bring a collar and poop bags. Next to the playground entrance, there are poop bags and a trash can. Before leaving, throw the used poop bags in the trash can. Do not throw them in the street or road! The entrance of the playground is double-locked, so dogs cannot go outside without their owner. To make a clean environment, food and smoking at the playground are banned.

At the dog park, it is refreshing to see dogs running freely on the broad field with their doggy friends or owners. Additionally, there are convenient amenities in the park: a training appliance, a drinking fountain for dogs, and a parasol. Visitors feel happy under the parasol watching their dogs running or having fun.

The JBNU Globe met two Gachigagae visitors. They found this park by searching for a place where dogs can play in Jeonju city. After they used the Gachigagae, one of them said, “it’s good that the playground is divided into two places for small and medium size dogs and large size dogs, so there are few risks of accidents.” The other visitor mentioned that an advantage of the park is that people can use it for free. Yet on the other hand, they mentioned it would be good if there were more resting places and training equipment for dogs. Jeonju city commented that they will add training equipment and periodically conduct tick checks to create a better environment for dogs and visitors alike.

● Essential Procedure for My Beloved Pet, Pet Registration

Before you use Gachigagae, you should register your dogs as pets at the local government or registration agency (animal hospital or protection group). It is similar to our resident registration. Through the registered information, vets can identify the owner, so it is effective in minimizing abandoned or lost pets. There are many kinds of pets, but only dogs over two months old are mandatory to register at this time. After registering your dog as a pet, you should attach or implant an identification device. There are exterior and interior types. The exterior type is installed on an external device, usually a tag that is attached to a dog collar. Therefore, it does not require any medical procedure, but there is a risk of losing the device. On the other hand, the builtin device is a wireless identification device that is implanted into the skin, and is a medical procedure. Unlike the exterior type, the implant has no risk of being lost. Then how old should the dog be for an implant? It is best to implant when dogs are over two months old, but in the case of small dogs, their skin might still be weak during that time. Therefore, it is recommended to use an exterior type first and then change it to an interior type later.

Earlier this year, the Jeonju Animal Welfare Department held a free animal registration event three different times for citizens raising dogs. This was a welfare event to ease the financial burden of dog owners and improve awareness of animal registration. It will be held two more times later this year. In addition, the Jeonju Welfare Department is also implementing a project to financially support owners for the pet registration fees.

Jeonju City Hall is striving to create a better, more dog-friendly city by establishing facilities and supporting various pet businesses. If you have a dog, why don’t you visit Gachigagae and pay attention other pet-related businesses?

ㅣ Lee Da-yeon Editor, Bang Jun-hui Cub-Reporter