pet funerals subsidized by public authorities

More and more Korean families want to have a proper funeral for their dog or cat, but it’s expensive. So, Seoul City Hall began distributing public subsidies to its less well-off residents.

Seoul City Hall explains that it is necessary to better take into account the emotional burden of the death of a pet, particularly among elderly people who live alone. The city says current official practices are too cold. In South Korea, when your pet dies, families will either throw it directly in the trash with other waste, or give it to a veterinary center which will also throw it away, but with medical waste. In both cases, it is very painful.

So, more and more people, when they can afford it, are organizing a real funeral for their animal. But it is expensive. The animal must be taken care of by a specialized company which will take it to one of the cremation centers. They are all out of town. And there, the carcass will be prepared for a real ceremony and its ashes will be collected to possibly be transformed.

Between 150 and 300 euros per kilo for cremation

Seoul City Hall is offering to cover part of the costs for its residents who have the lowest incomes. She also proposes to give priority to helping her oldest residents who live alone. It is an experiment that began in 2023 and the city initially only planned to subsidize 600 funerals. The municipality has created a transport service for deceased animals. She takes care of the coffin, the travel to the crematorium and she pays part of the cremation, the cost of which is calculated based on the weight of the animal. A cremation costs between 150 and 300 euros per kilo.

If the owner wants additional services, it is his responsibility. What is done a lot in the country is the transformation of your pet’s ashes into a sort of memorial stone. The ashes are either compacted or cooked at high temperatures to be transformed into glass beads that you can keep in a small wooden box in your living room.

Do some owners go too far?

These funerals for dogs and cats are a growing phenomenon in Korea. One in four households has a pet in the country. IThere is still a debate on the nature of these ceremonies. This week, Korean social networks were wondering if some owners weren’t going a little too far. There are now ceremonies where the owner invites friends and asks for donations for the funeral. It’s the tradition in Korea for human burials, you always give a small white envelope filled with new bills in solidarity. But netizens are wondering if it is reasonable to do the same thing when cremating a dog.