Incheon City is working to create an urban environment that respects all life, where humans and animals coexist healthily, and to promote a responsible pet ownership culture.

Incheon Metropolitan City announced that it held an opening ceremony on the 26th for the “Incheon Metropolitan City Companion Animal Welfare Center,” established in Cheonghak-dong, Yeonsu-gu.

The newly opened Companion Animal Welfare Center is a specialized animal welfare hub directly operated by Incheon Metropolitan City to establish a mature pet ownership culture and promote the adoption of abandoned animals.

About 50 people, including representatives from animal protection organizations and citizens, attended the opening ceremony. The event was made particularly meaningful by the simultaneous holding of the “First Adoption Ceremony,” where the center’s first adoptable animal met its new family, as well as a “Pilot Project for Dog Paw Print Registration” and a “Public Awareness Event on Adopting Abandoned Animals and Preventing Animal Abuse.”

The newly opened Companion Animal Welfare Center was created by renovating the former Munhak Tunnel management building. It features one basement level and two above-ground floors, with a site area of 4,756 square meters and a total floor area of 782 square meters, and was constructed at a total cost of 3.903 billion won. The facility includes consultation rooms, adoption preparation rooms, training rooms, examination rooms, and offices, and an outdoor training area has been set up on the rooftop.

The center provides necessary health screenings and medical treatment for animals in its care and helps them adapt to their new environments and families through socialization and behavior modification. In addition, it plans to support stable living arrangements for both adoptive families and animals by coordinating adoption counseling, post-adoption care, and education.

In addition, the center will operate educational programs for the public, such as a “Citizen School for Companion Animals,” animal protection education for children, and career exploration programs. It also plans to expand the community-based animal welfare infrastructure by strengthening cooperation with citizen volunteers, university student field internships, and local governments as well as private animal protection organizations.

The Mayor of Incheon stated, “I hope the Companion Animal Welfare Center will establish itself as a central hub for promoting a responsible pet ownership culture,” adding, “We will create an environment where people and animals can coexist and continue to strengthen animal welfare policies that citizens can tangibly experience.”

Meanwhile, following the center’s opening, Incheon City plans to solidify its operational foundation while further enhancing its adoption support, public education, and community collaboration functions in accordance with a phased implementation plan.