Doggy patrol team on the move to protect their cities

Hodu, a three-year-old female Pomeranian, was the talk of the town last week in the nation’s capital as Seoul citizens expressed their affection for a member of the Dog Patrol Program that provides civilian patrol activities across the city.

"I'm not so cold-hearted as to enjoy such a sight by myself," wrote Seongdong-gu chief Chung Won-oh on his X account, as he shared the photos and videos of Hodu. The dog and her owner recently joined Seoul's patrol program that officially commenced last month.

Starting in 2022, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has been operating the Dog Patrol Program which invites people with pet dogs to watch for and report any suspected crimes or other safety risks to authorities while they go for walks in their neighborhood.

The pet owners and their animals are not expected to patrol shady areas or actively provide assistance to local law enforcement, of course, but they are asked to report potential risks they can see in their everyday lives. They are also encouraged to assist the community by accompanying children on their way to school or helping senior citizens suffering from dementia.

Participants of the Dog Patrol Program carry out joint patrols on the last Wednesday of every month, with different themes each month varying from inspecting crime prevention facilities, ensuring women's safe returns home, and promoting responsible pet ownership.

The program started with 64 teams upon its launch in 2022 and quickly expanded to 1,011 teams last year, who in their 48,431 walks filed a combined 331 emergency reports to the police and 2,263 reports of safety or inconveniences spotted across the city.

A total of 1,424 teams have been appointed to keep watch in their neighborhood this year, a combination of 467 newly designated teams and 957 teams who will continue with their patrol activities.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to continue recruiting for the Dog Patrol Program, with its goal this year being to operate a total of 2,000 human-pet teams.

Those wishing to apply can visit http://petrol.or.kr, to see if their regional government is recruiting. The latest recruitment for teams in Seoul and Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, recently ended, but Busan and Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, are still recruiting until May 22 and May 9, respectively.

Potential members can submit their name and personal information, the average number of walks per week, along with their pet dog's name, breed, weight, gender, age and animal registration number. They will then go through an on-the-job test, which will test the dog's behavior and reactions to outside factors such as larger dogs.