In Seoul, there are 1,529 teams in which dog owners and their companion dogs form a team to patrol around their residence. While patrolling combined with a walk with their dogs, if they witness a crime or a dangerous situation, they report it to the relevant agencies. From April to September this year, they patrolled more than 50,000 times over six months and filed 1,500 reports. As the effectiveness of public safety checks through such voluntary resident participation has been confirmed, the "companion dog patrols" are spreading nationwide.
◇ Patrols 85,000 times across all 25 districts last year… 4,500 reports to related agencies
The companion dog patrols first began in 2022 in Seoul's Gangdong District. It added crime-prevention activities to regular walks with dogs, and 64 teams joined the pilot project. When the main program was launched in September of the same year, a total of nine districts participated, increasing the patrols to 294 teams. It was later expanded to all 25 districts in Seoul, growing to 1,011 teams in 2023 and 1,704 teams last year.
A companion dog patrol team consists of an owner and a companion dog. Any citizen can participate. However, they must pass a rigorous screening. They have to pass a first-round document review and a second-round practical test. These screenings are held every year, and there are years when the pass rate is less than half. The most important aspect in the screening is safety, such as preventing dog-bite incidents. The coordination between the owner and the dog is also important. Whether the dog follows the owner's requests well—such as "follow" and "sit"—is one of the key evaluation items.
The companion dog patrols selected in this way wrote 84,847 activity logs last year alone. That is about twice as many as the previous year (42,885). Activity logs are generated automatically by turning on the patrol-related application whenever desired, regardless of time and place, and ending it after the patrol.
Patrol outcomes are also increasing each year. Last year, 112 calls rose 53% from the previous year to 485, and reports related to everyday safety increased 82% to 3,991. Most 112 calls involved reports of intoxicated persons. Reports on everyday safety were said to mainly involve damage to neighborhood facilities and ground subsidence (sinkholes).
◇ Companion dog patrols spreading nationwide… Government reviewing linked policies such as school violence prevention and animal-assisted therapy
The companion dog patrols that began in Seoul are spreading nationwide. Local governments that confirmed the effectiveness in Seoul are moving to introduce them by enacting local government ordinances related to companion dog patrols. Jeju, Busan, Gyeonggi, Incheon and North Gyeongsang have been operating companion dog patrols since last year. This year, South Chungcheong, Daejeon and Gwangju's Gwangsan District have begun the introduction process by enacting related local government ordinances.
Local governments can manage community safety by investing relatively little expense. The Seoul Metropolitan Government reportedly earmarked 2.9 billion won this year for the companion dog patrols budget. This budget is used to provide patrol supplies, activity certificates and commendations for outstanding activities. In the case of voluntary neighborhood watch groups organized spontaneously by local residents, more than 300 million won in budget is said to be spent in a single district.
The population that can participate in companion dog patrols continues to grow. According to the "2025 Korea Companion Animal Report" published by KB Financial Group, as of the end of last year an estimated 15.46 million people owned companion animals. That means about three out of 10 people live with companion animals. In terms of households, there are 5.91 million companion animal households, and the number of companion dogs they are raising is 5.46 million.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government also plans to expand the role of companion dog patrols deployed for public safety. It is reviewing the introduction of animal-assisted therapy programs to provide emotional support to socially vulnerable groups such as senior centers and group homes, as well as school violence prevention campaigns in areas at risk for juvenile delinquency and school violence.