Korea expands benefits for retired working dogs to help them find forever homes

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is expanding support for retired working dogs in Korea to ease adoption costs and provide care after their service. The program includes veterinary discounts, medical subsidies and plans for a state retirement center. At the fourth annual Quarantine Detector Dog Homecoming Day on Yeongjong Island near Incheon International Airport, 11 retired dogs and their handlers and adoptive families gathered for activities and veterinary seminars.

About 1,100 working dogs serve across six government bodies, and the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency operates approximately 70 detector dogs at international travel hubs.

Participating veterinary clinics increased from 56 in 2024 to 73 in 2026 and offer treatment discounts of 30 percent, while participating feed suppliers offer up to 50 percent off specialized nutrition.

Introduced in April, the subsidy reimburses up to 60 percent of eligible medical bills and insurance premiums, capped at 1 million won annually per dog, for up to 100 retired dogs each year.

The ministry is partnering with animal hospitals at Kangwon National University, Chungbuk National University, Chungnam National University and Chonnam National University to provide subsidized care.

The planned retirement center would rehabilitate dogs for adoption and provide lifelong state-funded care for senior or ill dogs that cannot be placed in private homes.

Published Oct 31, 2026 7:00 am KST

New policy expands health coverage and hospice care to boost adoptions of service canines

A Disaster Relief Team's service dog from Korea conducts a search and rescue operation after a massive earthquake in Turkey, Feb. 6, 2023. Courtesy of Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Korea is stepping up its efforts to help retired working dogs find forever homes by building a comprehensive, state-funded safety net designed to ease the steep financial burden on adoptive families.

Under an expanded initiative led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the government is introducing direct medical subsidies, discounted veterinary care, and dedicated hospice facilities to ensure these canine public servants are cared for after their service ends.

Roughly 1,100 working dogs currently serve across six government bodies, including the military, police, fire services, customs and quarantine inspection. Among them, the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency alone operates approximately 70 specialized detector dogs at key international travel hubs.

For years, private adoption for retired working dogs faced steep hurdles.

Specialized breeds like beagles, Labradors, and Malinois typically retire around age 8 after six to eight years of active duty. Upon retirement, adoptive owners are left with high medical costs for joint issues, dental problems and chronic ailments accrued during their demanding working lives.

To make adoption more accessible, the ministry partnered with private veterinary groups, pet food manufacturers and insurers to slash maintenance costs. Participating clinics, which have expanded from 56 locations in 2024 to 73 in 2026, offer 30 percent discounts on treatments, while feed suppliers provide up to 50 percent off specialized nutrition.

In April, the government introduced a direct subsidy program reimbursing up to 60 percent of out-of-pocket medical bills and insurance premiums, capped at 1 million won ($725) annually per dog for up to 100 retirees each year.

A beagle quarantine detector dog inspects luggage on a baggage carousel at Incheon International Airport. Courtesy of Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Officials are also establishing a network of public anchor veterinary hospitals, partnering with animal hospitals at four flagship national universities — Kangwon National University, Chungbuk National University, Chungnam National University and Chonnam National University — to provide subsidized care.

Furthermore, plans are underway to build a dedicated state retirement center to rehabilitate retired working dogs for adoption, while providing lifelong, state-funded care for senior or ill dogs that cannot be placed in private homes.

"We want to ensure the government honors their service with proper care and dignity," said Kim Jeong-wook, head of the ministry’s Agricultural Industry Innovation Policy Bureau.

The expanding support framework was on display Friday at Yeongjong Island near Incheon International Airport, where 11 retired quarantine inspection dogs gathered for the fourth annual "Quarantine Detector Dog Homecoming Day."

Organized by the ministry and the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, the event brought together former sniffer dogs, their handlers and their adoptive families for autumn sports and veterinary health seminars, serving as an operational review of Korea's evolving animal welfare policy.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

韩国农林畜产食品部正在扩大对退役工作犬的支持力度，以减轻领养费用并为它们提供退役后的照料。该计划包括兽医折扣、医疗补贴以及建立国家养老中心的规划。在仁川国际机场附近的永宗岛举行的第四届年度检疫犬回家日上，11只退役犬及其训导员和领养家庭齐聚一堂，参加了各项活动和兽医讲座。

大约有 1100 只工作犬在六个政府机构服役，动植物检疫局在国际旅行枢纽运营着大约 70 只检测犬。

参与活动的兽医诊所数量从 2024 年的 56 家增加到 2026 年的 73 家，并提供 30% 的治疗折扣；参与活动的饲料供应商提供高达 50% 的特殊营养折扣。

该补贴于 4 月推出，可报销符合条件的医疗费用和保险费的 60%，每只狗每年最高补贴 100 万韩元，每年最多可补贴 100 只退役犬。

该部正与江原大学、忠北大学、忠南大学和全南大学的动物医院合作，提供补贴医疗服务。

计划中的养老中心将对犬只进行康复训练，以便它们能够被领养，并为无法安置在私人家庭中的老年犬或患病犬提供终身国家资助的护理。

发布于2026年10月31日 上午7:00（韩国标准时间）

新政策扩大医疗保险和临终关怀服务范围，以促进服务犬的收养。

2023年2月6日，土耳其发生强烈地震后，来自韩国的救灾犬正在执行搜救任务。图片由韩国农林畜产食品部提供。

韩国正在加大力度帮助退役工作犬找到永久的家，为此建立了一个全面的、国家资助的安全网，旨在减轻领养家庭沉重的经济负担。

在农业、食品和农村事务部牵头的扩大计划下，政府正在推行直接医疗补贴、兽医服务折扣和专门的临终关怀设施，以确保这些犬类公务员在服务结束后得到照顾。

目前，约有1100只工作犬在六个政府机构服役，包括军队、警察、消防部门、海关和检疫部门。其中，仅动植物检疫局就在重要的国际交通枢纽部署了约70只专业搜救犬。

多年来，私人收养退役工作犬面临着重重阻碍。

像比格犬、拉布拉多犬和马里努阿犬这样的专业犬种，通常在服役六到八年后，于八岁左右退役。退役后，领养它们的犬主将承担高昂的医疗费用，用于治疗它们在高强度工作生活中积累的关节问题、牙齿问题和慢性疾病。

为了让更多人能够领养宠物，该部门与私人兽医集团、宠物食品生产商和保险公司合作，大幅降低宠物饲养成本。参与合作的诊所（数量已从2024年的56家增加到2026年的73家）提供30%的治疗折扣，而饲料供应商则提供高达50%的特制营养品折扣。

今年 4 月，政府推出了一项直接补贴计划，报销高达 60% 的自付医疗费用和保险费，每只狗每年最高补贴 100 万韩元（725 美元），每年最多可补贴 100 名退休人员。

一只比格犬检疫犬正在仁川国际机场的行李传送带上检查行李。图片由韩国农林畜产食品部提供。

官员们还在建立公共骨干兽医院网络，与四所旗舰国立大学——江原大学、忠北大学、忠南大学和全南大学的动物医院合作，提供补贴医疗服务。

此外，目前正在计划建造一个专门的州立养老中心，用于康复退役工作犬以供领养，同时为无法安置在私人家庭的老年犬或患病犬提供终身、由州政府资助的护理。

“我们希望确保政府以适当的关怀和尊严来表彰他们的贡献，”农业部农业产业创新政策局局长金正旭说。

周五，在仁川国际机场附近的永宗岛上，不断扩大的支持体系得到了展示。11 只退役的检疫检查犬聚集在那里，参加第四届“检疫检测犬回家日”。

该活动由农业部和动植物检疫局组织，将退役搜救犬、它们的训导员和领养家庭聚集在一起，进行秋季运动和兽医健康研讨会，同时也是对韩国不断发展的动物福利政策的一次操作性审查。

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。