That increase among younger demographics stands in contrast to ongoing abandonment figures, where 106,824 stray and abandoned animals were recorded in 2024 by the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency.
Stray Animal Abandonment Drops for Five Consecutive Years
The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency figures for 2024 mark a 5.5% decline in stray and abandoned animals compared to the previous year, continuing a downward trend over five consecutive years. Younger adopters aged 20 to 30 drove much of the increased adoption rate, with the adoption rate for stray animals rising from 19.9% in the previous year to 27.7% in 2023, marking a 7.8 percentage point increase. At the same time, the 2025 Animal Welfare National Awareness Survey showed that two out of ten pet owners considered relinquishing their animals, with behavioral issues like excessive barking, aggression, and severe separation anxiety serving as primary factors for surrender.
Behavioral Challenges and the 3-3-3 Rule for Adjustment
Genetic predispositions, socialization periods occurring between 3 and 12 weeks of age for puppies and 2 to 8 weeks for kittens, and early trauma shape animal behavior. Certain common assumptions, such as the beliefs that poodles experience severe separation anxiety or that Chihuahuas possess aggressive personalities, partially reflect genetic traits associated with specific breeds. Rescued animals often require extended transitions to adjust to new environments, leading American animal protection organizations to promote the 3-3-3 rule. That framework defines the first three days as a tension-reduction phase marked by hiding and food refusal, the subsequent three weeks as an adjustment period for household routines, and the following three months as a stabilization stage where true personalities emerge.
Ministry Introduces Trial Adoption Programs for Animals
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs revised the Animal Protection Center Operating Guidelines to introduce a trial adoption program, allowing prospective owners to take animals home for up to ten days before finalizing adoption. Local governments also run support programs covering partial costs for vaccinations, neutering, and animal registration. Veterinary specialists note that persistent medical symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea lasting beyond 48 hours require immediate clinical intervention rather than waiting out the adjustment period.
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