More animals are being abandoned near holiday spots on the east coast during the vacation season, authorities said Tuesday.

The city of Donghae, Gangwon Province, took in 42 pets such as dogs and cats in July alone, up sharply from 14 abandoned animals reported in June. In the first half of this year, the city picked up 123 abandoned animals.

Gangneung, another East Coast city that attracts holidaymakers during the peak summer season, found 56 animals abandoned last month, with the total reaching 298 in the first seven months of this year.

Some of the pets were found chained to trees near popular beaches, or pet shops were left with abandoned dogs as their owners never showed up.

Stray animals are kept at facilities run by the city and other government organizations for 10 days to allow their owners to claim them. If the animals are not picked up by their owners, they are placed for adoption or, after a certain period passes, are euthanized.

The surge in abandoned animals is also putting financial pressure on provincial administrations. Both Donghae and Gangneung set aside a bigger budget to provide more food and medical services for the animals they take in.

By Kim Da-sol, Intern reporter 
(dasolkim@heraldcorp.com)