As the pet population in South Korea approaches 30% of the total population, interest in pet health management is increasing. With the rise of the 'pet family' culture, the pet healthcare industry is expanding its engagement with pet owners.
Hecto Healthcare's pet probiotic brand, 'Dshimone Pet,' announced on November 3 that it participated in the 'Ddog Run 2026,' a dog-friendly running festival held on November 1 at Jarasum in Gapyeong. Dshimone Pet set up a brand booth at the event, showcasing its pet probiotics, 'Dshimone Pet Probiotics.' The company offered product sampling and organized events for pet owners and their dogs.
Launched in 2017, the Ddog Run promotes a healthy pet culture by encouraging owners and their dogs to run together. This year, over 4,000 participants joined, including dog trainer Kang Hyung-wook. Participants also contributed to a charitable initiative by donating 1 kg of dog food to animal shelters for each entry.
Dshimone Pet Probiotics feature the 'Dshimone Formula (DSF),' which combines eight strains of probiotics. Each packet contains 30 billion CFU of probiotics and is flavored with chicken to appeal to dogs and cats. The DSF formula is referenced in clinical research related to the diagnosis and treatment of canine chronic inflammatory enteropathy by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM).
The perception of pets as family members is supported by statistics. According to KB Financial Management Research Institute's '2025 Korean Pet Report,' the number of pet owners in South Korea is estimated to reach 15.46 million by the end of 2024, accounting for 29.9% of the total population. Additionally, 87.2% of pet-owning households consider their pets as family members.
Kim Seok-jin, CEO of Hecto Healthcare, stated, "We will continue to introduce products and services that promote a healthy lifestyle for pets based on our accumulated research and expertise in probiotics."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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