"Is It Trash Bags This Time?" How Should We Address the Society That Abandons Animals?

The Era of 15 Million Pet Owners: The Dark Side... Abandoned Animals
"Pets Are Easily Sold and Abandoned"... Regulation Needed for Animal Adoption Procedures
1.1 Animal Protection and Welfare Officers per Local Government... Need to Increase Dedicated Personnel

Maltese dog discarded in a garbage bag last month. Photo by Bupyeong-gu, Incheon.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jumi Lee] A society with 15 million pet owners. As the number of people raising companion animals increases every year, the number of abandoned animals is also rising. Consequently, there are growing calls to introduce systems for animal protection, such as regulating the procedures for pet adoption, and to increase dedicated personnel.

On the 18th of last month, a live Maltese dog was abandoned in a waste disposal bag in a redevelopment area in Sipjeong-dong, Bupyeong-gu, Incheon. The Maltese, barely able to stick its face out of the bag, was reported to have symptoms of dehydration and was unable to walk properly. Since the Maltese was not registered as a companion animal, its owner could not be found, and eventually, an animal organization decided to take it into their care.

Animals abandoned like the Maltese left in a garbage bag continue to increase. According to the Animal Protection Management System managed by the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, 128,678 lost or abandoned animals were registered last year. Although this is a 3.6% decrease from 133,505 in 2019, considering the steady increase from 100,840 in 2017 and 118,719 in 2018, it is premature to conclude that the numbers have declined.

◆ Ongoing Animal Abandonment... 'Pet Adoption Procedures Must Be Regulated'

Some argue that the simplified adoption procedures are one cause of animal abandonment. Under the current system, companion animals can be easily bought and sold, making it difficult to establish a proper awareness of animal rights.

After the story of 'Sunsu,' a Maltese abandoned in February with its nose and mouth cut off, became known, a petition on the Blue House National Petition site titled "Please strongly regulate pet adoption procedures by law" received about 60,000 signatures.

The petitioner who rescued Sunsu stated, "Currently, companion animals are bought and sold like shopping items without any restrictions or regulations, and are abandoned," and argued, "There should be a system requiring education to acquire a certificate or qualification to ensure a certain level of knowledge about companion animals, so that not just anyone can adopt them."

A Blue House petition advocating for regulations on the procedures for pet adoption. Photo by Blue House petition capture

Lee Hwan-hee, CEO of the abandoned animal adoption platform 'Paw in Hand,' also pointed out in an article contributed to 'Sisa Journal' in July last year that "The fundamental cause of the abandoned animal problem lies in the stage of companion animal adoption, which is regulated and managed as animal production and sales," and added, "Because anyone can easily buy and sell companion animals like goods without significant barriers, irresponsible animal abandonment frequently occurs."

However, the preparation of legislation to regulate pet adoption procedures remains distant. On January 27, a partial amendment bill to the Animal Protection Act, which includes provisions requiring education before owning or raising companion animals, was proposed but has barely passed the reception stage. Related industries, including the Korea Pet Industry Retail Association, strongly oppose it, so it is uncertain whether the law will actually be implemented.

◆ Insufficient Dedicated Animal Protection Personnel... System 'Ineffective'

Realistically, if it is not possible to regulate at the adoption procedure stage immediately, there are many calls to strengthen management and sanctions after adoption. The government implemented the Animal Protection Act and its enforcement decree and rules on the 12th of last month, strengthening punishments for animal abuse and abandonment and increasing animal registration rates. Additionally, local governments nationwide are rolling out various animal welfare policies.

However, there are criticisms that to achieve practical effects from these systems and policies, more field personnel must be increased. According to the Ministry of Agriculture in August last year, there are only 1.1 public officials per local government in charge of companion animal protection and welfare tasks across 228 cities, counties, and districts nationwide.

A cat abandoned in Gangnam-gu with an eye injury. Photo by Animal Rights Action Kara SNS capture

Given this situation, even if systems for companion animals are introduced, they often fail to produce effective results. The 'Companion Animal Registration System' is a representative example.

This system requires mandatory registration of information about the animal and its owner with administrative agencies to prepare for cases of abandonment or loss and to raise the owner's sense of responsibility, but the registration rate is low and has been pointed out as a problem.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, from 2017 over three years, 415 cases nationwide received administrative penalties such as fines for unregistered companion animals. In Jeonbuk region, the rate was 41% (as of 2019), and in Gimhae region, 27% (as of 2020). Despite the system being in place for seven years, it has yet to be firmly established.

One reason why sanctions are not effectively enforced despite the low registration rate is 'lack of personnel.' A Chungbuk Cheongju city official said in a February interview with KBS, "The small number of enforcement personnel is a problem, and most people who come out for walks have registered their animals," adding, "It is difficult to conduct enforcement by visiting each household."

A dog taking a walk. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Field experts have continuously insisted that dedicated personnel must be expanded to realize animal protection. At the 2019 'Gyeonggi-do Animal Welfare Policy Forum,' Lee Sung-sik, president of the Gyeonggi-do Veterinary Association, emphasized, "All projects require organization and budget, but in Gyeonggi-do, despite the wide area, there are insufficient personnel in charge of protection tasks," and added, "Enforcement can only be done if personnel are secured."

Meanwhile, the government announced plans in February to expand personnel dedicated to animal protection and welfare. Jeong Ki-soo, Secretary for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs at the Blue House, said, "We will increase the number of dedicated personnel for animal protection and welfare in local governments to strengthen guidance and inspection for animal protection." He also stated, "We plan to develop and distribute animal protection education programs to strengthen education for animal owners and others, and to actively utilize them in elementary, middle, and high school education by consulting with related ministries to promote public awareness improvement regarding animal protection and welfare."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.