When I die, I'm'garbage'... Animal funeral home is a hate stigma

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Another problem to consider with this is what to do after that, when a pet dies.

Since it is illegal to bury pets on the ground, there is a growing voice that people need to create cremation facilities these days, but local residents often oppose it.

This is reporter Yoo Su-hwan.

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100 residents hold hand signs against animal crematoriums.

In Daegu last year, the establishment of an animal crematorium, which was first promoted by the local community, was destroyed.

It couldn't go beyond the two-year resident opposition.

This pet funeral home in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do went through trials to open its doors six years ago.

Although the number of visitors is increasing, it was not easy to overcome the prejudice of a hate facility.

[Companion animal burial facility representative: At first, there was a lot of placards attached to it and there was an uproar.

Even at the neighborhood meeting, I had a meeting for several hours (because I participated).] In the

age of 10 million pets, close to 700,000 pets die a year.

Under the current law, animal carcasses are classified as household waste, so it is allowed to put them in a pay-as-you-go bag, but burying them in the ground is prohibited.

There is increasing demand for funerals to meaningfully send family-like dogs and cats away, but that is not the case.

There are only 51 officially registered animal burial facilities nationwide.

Even this, 21 places are concentrated only in Gyeonggi Province.

[Hyungjoo Lee/CEO of Animal Welfare Research Center Aware: Actually, there are very few funeral companies compared to the number of companion animals.

There seems to be a need to try to improve the perception that animal facilities are hateful facilities.] As

animal cremation facilities are built in remote locations to avoid opposition from residents, there is also a side effect of mobile unlicensed crematoriums.

(Video coverage: Park Dong-ryul, video editing: Jang Hyun-ki)

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[Reporter Yoo Su-Hwan: Now, I agree with pet-related facilities and what they need and build them, but the key is that they should not be in front of my house.

Last year, a public opinion poll was conducted in Busan, and 80% of respondents said they agreed to build a dog play facility.

However, if you say you will build it in front of my house, you are concerned about odor, noise, and safety.

However, if the local government pushes it unilaterally, the conflict will only grow.

From the beginning of the implementation, it is necessary to narrow the disagreement at public hearings or voluntary decision-making bodies created by residents.

In addition, experts have now advised that it is a wisdom to make residents' convenience facilities into a complex space when making a funeral facility.]

[Reporter Yoo Soo-Hwan: In the end, the important thing was the continuous dialogue and the process of building trust.

We went to a crematorium in Gyeonggi-do.

It is said that the business owner invited the residents to this crematorium and even demonstrated in person even when the trial went to court.

It also showed the exhaust system and made it clear that there is almost no pollution or noise generated when this body is cremated.

Now, referring to the case of developed countries for companion animals, there are 740 companion animal playgrounds in Japan and 130 in New York, USA.

However, in these countries, it was possible because there is a perception that such a pet playground is not a hate facility, but a space where owners can socially exchange and communicate with each other.] 

▶ "No in front of my house!"

Punching poured into the dog's playground