Seoul mayor calls for responsible pet ownership

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on Saturday called for greater responsibility among pet owners as the city opened a two-day animal welfare festival at Yeouido Hangang Park.

"More people are enjoying happy lives with companion animals, but there is also a darker side," Oh said at the opening ceremony, referring to challenges surrounding abandoned animals.

He urged pet owners to regard their animals as family members for life and take responsibility for them until the end.

He made the remarks during a third Seoul Animal Protection Day event, also known as the Animal Happiness Festa, runs through Sunday at the park's Mulbit Stage plaza in Seoul.

The festival features a range of programs, including a run with dogs, adoption events for abandoned animals, veterinary health consultations and hands-on activities aimed at raising awareness of farm and wildlife welfare.

Oh said restrictions on walking and spending time with pets in public spaces had eased in recent years as the city revised related rules and expanded facilities such as dog parks.

He also highlighted the city's efforts to strengthen support for abandoned animals. Seoul currently operates three municipal animal welfare support centers and plans to open another in Gangdong-gu to expand coverage across the capital.

Five citizens were presented with mayoral commendations at the opening ceremony for their contributions to animal protection and welfare.

Other programs at the festival include pet registration campaigns, behavioral activities for dogs, adoption events and educational booths on the welfare of farm and wild animals.