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Pets in South Korea
Living in a foreign country with your pet can have a degree of difficulty associated with it. Meeting certain criteria for shipping and making sure the pet has proper medical records are one issue, while the possibility of your pet being lost or killed during transport is yet another. In some countries your pet may become the center piece of someone's dinner table, while in still another country your pet may be considered sacred, or evil. Maybe you lost your pet here in Seoul, South Korea. If so, let us know and send us a photograph of your pet. We'll place it in the lost and found section of this page. You can find pets, including cats, just off of the Chungmuro subway stop. There are many pet shops together in this area.

Click the button to watch this video of this animal shelter in Korea.

CIVILIAN PET REQUIREMENTS

Please visit these links:
Customs (Customs last updated this information in 2002)
Entry Requirements as listed by the Korean Embassy (look under Animal Quarantine)

Recent outbreaks of bird flu, mad cow and SARS have caused customs to tighten controls. We have known people who have recently had their pets quarantined, even with proper health certificates, while others have said that their animals came into South Korea without being examined.

US MILITARY PET REQUIREMENTS

Many people choose to bring their pets with them to South Korea and, since the Veterinary Clinic is one of the best services at Yongsan, the animals usually do well. There are, however, strict and specific rules and regulations as to how this is done.

For current, accurate information, contact your local veterinarian or the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in your state. Federal certificates of examination are required. Along with obtaining the necessary paperwork to get your animal to Korea, you must also arrange for transportation. Most pet owners prefer to have their animals on the aircraft with them, so be sure to make the necessary bookings at the time your personal flight arrangements are made.

You are urged to check with your Stateside veterinarian six weeks before your departure about an immunization for your pet to guard against a very common disease found in quarantine called "Kennel Cough".

The Republic of Korea does have a 10-day quarantine for all arriving animals. To pick up your pet, you MUST have: 1. Certificate of excess baggage or bill of lading for animals arriving by air freight. 2. Copy of health certificate. 3. Copy of owner's military orders. 4. Proof of identification. 5. Power of attorney if you are acting as the owners representative.

After clearing customs at Kimpo International Airport, the animal will be transported, at the owner's expense, to the quarantine facility at Yongsan, which is the only USFK pet quarantine facility in the Republic. The transportation fee is $30 and there is a daily rate for boarding. Check with your sponsor or gaining unit for accurate boarding rates. Rabies vaccinations must be over 30 days old to stay at this facility (i.e. if your pet had a rabies shot 10 days before your arrival at Yongsan your pet will be required to stay in quarantine for 20 days). You are permitted to visit Your pet during the quarantine. Many owners have chosen to take food to their pets since some may not like the food given to them while in quarantine.

Cats for adoption

PET VETS & PET STORES IN SEOUL
If you need a vet, pet supplies or pet food in Seoul, you're in luck because there are about a zillion places to buy pets, have pets groomed, examined, and cared for. The same is true for finding pet food. Most Western brand pet food is readily available in Seoul without calling out the National Guard or having Congress in session. It is quite common in Seoul for families to have pets, which are usually dogs of a small variety. Cats can be found in and around Seoul, but many wander the streets, unwanted. Traditionally, cats are not a popular animal in South Korea as they carry bad connotations in Korean culture. However, more South Koreans are adopting cats as pets. Very few cats are seen in local pet stores compared to dogs, but they can still be found.

Ginger is now a Seoul Searching cat!

PETS ON PLANES
Let's also not forget that the many airlines have their own rules and regulations concerning the shipment of pets and other animals. We urge you to contact your airline concerning this issue before traveling, well in advance of your departure date, and then reconfirm any information a few weeks before your departure, and then again a few days before your departure. It is also a really good idea to have a special note added to your file in the airline computer that you are making the trip with a pet(s) and that if any concerns arise pertaining to pets being shipped, that they call you.

Dog Farms
Take a look at dog farms in Korea, where they raise dogs for eating. Not only do they kill dogs, but they torture them, believing that the more pain the dogs have, the better they taste. This industry is unregulated and poses health risks to the consumer, as not only dog eaters are at risk, but also other meat that is near the dog meat can be contaminated. We also include links to Websites dedicated to stopping this practice.

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