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Cat adoption center in Gyeonggi becomes purr-fect date place

Published: 17 Feb. 2025, 14:07 Updated: 17 Feb. 2025, 14:33

Members of province-run cat adoption Banryeomaru in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, pose on Feb. 7 with 42-year-old Yoo Dong-jin and his wife who adopted Ppuppu the cat. [SON SUNG-BAE]

A cat adoption center in Gyeonggi has become a popular new spot for couples to volunteer and spend time together among feline friends.

On Friday, 42-year-old Yoo Dong-jin and his spouse adopted a cat named Ppuppu. They insist that the cat chose them, not the other way around.

Ppuppu is the 100th cat to be adopted from the Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, branch of Banryeomaru, the country's only cat adoption center run by a provincial government. The center, located in Mado-myeon, opened nine months ago in May last year.

"We didn't buy a cat; instead, we volunteered at the adoption center, and a cat that approached us was officially approved for adoption,” said Yoo. “Bringing this cat into our family is a different kind of joy.”

"I hope the culture of adopting abandoned and stray cats to start a new life together becomes more widespread."

The couple visited the center five times as volunteers before adopting Ppuppu. The cat is known for its friendly, dog-like personality, showing no resistance even when having its nails trimmed or fur brushed. This gentle temperament led the couple to decide on adoption.

Yoo Dong-jin and his wife pets Ppuppu the cat on Feb. 7. [SON SUNG-BAE]

Ppuppu was found on Dec. 16 last year in an apartment in Namyangju, Gyeonggi, after the landlord entered the unit when the tenant failed to respond. The cat had been neglected for a long time and was suffering from malnutrition.

“If a cat is not claimed within seven to 10 days after being listed at a local shelter, it becomes eligible for euthanasia,” said Gong Soo-hyun, an official at the adoption center. “Our role as an adoption center is to take in these cats on the brink of life and death and find them new families."

Banryeomaru is currently housing and caring for 38 cats, each with its own story. Pingu, a Sphynx cat brought to the center on Jan. 14, was left alone in its home after its elderly owner passed away. Kuku, a Korean Shorthair that arrived last April, has only one eye. Gong refers to these cats as "our children."

Some, like Elsa, who was abandoned while heavily pregnant, or Wooju, who was in poor health before receiving treatment and finding a new home, leave a lasting impression on the staff.

The center features a veterinary clinic with a surgical room, as well as a quarantine facility to prevent the spread of infectious diseases—something not commonly found in regular veterinary hospitals.

Banryeomaru has also become a popular dating spot for couples volunteering together. The three-hour volunteer program involves cleaning the cat areas, providing food and water, and spending an hour socializing with the cats. The program accepts eight volunteers on weekdays and 10 on weekends, with weekend slots filling up quickly.

Yoo Dong-jin, left, hugs Ppuppu the cat as his wife watches on Feb. 7. [SON SUNG-BAE]

Last month alone, 209 volunteers participated. On this particular day, one volunteer, 35-year-old office worker Lee In-seon, drove about 70 minutes from Songpa District, Seoul.

"This doesn't feel like volunteering," Lee said. "After cleaning the rooms and wiping down the furniture, spending time with the cats in the sun is so peaceful and healing. Anyone who hasn’t tried it wouldn’t understand."

In November 2023, Gyeonggi announced its pet welfare policy aimed at creating a society where people and animals can coexist happily.

The initiative includes goals such as increasing the adoption rate of abandoned animals to 50 percent, establishing 60 pet-friendly spaces, and raising the pet registration rate to 80 percent by 2026. As part of this vision, the Hwaseong and Yeoju branch of Banryeomaru were established as pet-friendly cultural spaces, contributing to the promotion of pet adoption.

Chae Yeon-seok, head of Banryeomaru Team 2 in Gyeonggi, oversees the cat adoption center.

"For 17 of my 20 years as a public veterinarian, I worked in animal disease control, preventing outbreaks and carrying out culling measures," Chae said. "Now, my role has shifted to saving animals, and I find it deeply rewarding. As the public sector expands beyond livestock and disease control to pet welfare and industry development, I hope more veterinarians will enter public service."

BY SON SUNG-BAE, KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]