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By Lee Hae-rin
Six in 10 volunteers who take care of stray cats work alone on trap-neuter-return (TNR) activities to control the stray cat population due to limited funding from the local government, according to an animal rights group.
The report on stray cats released Dec. 13 by domestic animal advocacy group Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA) shows that the overwhelming majority, or 95.7 percent of street cat rescuers, are not affiliated with any animal rights groups. Over 1,500 people took part in the survey conducted between April and June this year.
These independent activists vary by age ― 19.3 percent were in their 20s, 24.7 percent in their 30s, 26.6 percent in their 40s and 21.3 percent in their 50s, the report said.
Their primary activities include feeding cats (97.7 percent) and TNR (58.8 percent). TNR is viewed by some as a humane and effective method to manage stray cat populations. The tips of spayed or neutered cats' ears are snipped off before they're released to prevent their unnecessary recapture.
According to the report, these individual cat rescuers spend an average of 160,000 won ($124) per month to look after stray cats in their neighborhoods.
Nine out of 10 of these independent activists are aware of TNR, and around 60 percent pay for the surgery for cats they rescue.
The government has been trying to stabilize the country's growing stray cat population via TNR programs.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the number of complaints filed concerning stray cats has increased from 6,206 in 2020 to 9,500 in 2021. Animal abuse cases targeting stray cats have also gone up from 1,219 in 2020 to 1,816 in 2021.
Meanwhile, due to tight budgets, local government efforts to control the free-roaming feline population have not been able to meet the actual demand.
The individual rescuers complained that negative stereotypes about stray cats also make it harder to take care of the cats.
KARA activist Kim Jeong-ah told The Korea Times during a recent phone interview that Korean society's negative perception of stray animals largely originates from misconceptions and called for more financial support from the government to manage the stray cat population. Several caretakers have sought out the organization for protection against haters, who sometimes blackmail and threaten them, the activist confirmed.
"Those who oppose stray cat caretaking mistakenly believe that their population grows because the caretakers feed them and that they are vermin that disrupt the urban ecosystem," Kim said, "But the truth is, regardless of (caretakers' activities), stray cats exist and will live with us … and they have never been classified as vermin by the Korean government."
She added that active controlling of feral animals, namely via caretakers' activities, are the most effective means to minimize public inconveniences caused by stray cats.
