Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Conducts Special Inspection of Pet Business Operators with Local Governments

Administrative Actions for Violations of Permission, Registration, Facility, and Personnel Standards

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[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 7th that it will conduct a special joint inspection of pet-related business operators with local governments until the 25th.

The Ministry and local governments will form eight joint inspection teams across eight regions including Seoul·Gyeonggi, Gangwon·Incheon, and plan to inspect about 100 animal production, sales, and import business operators. Common inspection items include whether the business operator has obtained permission/registration and completed education, any changes in facility standards within the business site, preparation and retention of individual management cards, and compliance with personnel standards (75 animals per person for production businesses, 50 animals per person for sales and import businesses).

For individual business operators, animal production businesses will be inspected for compliance with breeding facility standards, separation of breeding, birthing, and quarantine rooms, adherence to appropriate breeding numbers, and compliance with the 8-month interval between births. Inspection items for animal sales businesses include whether an animal sales contract is provided and its appropriateness, compliance with sales age (2 months or older for dogs and cats), whether animals are sold after registration application, and prohibition of sales to minors.

Businesses operating without permission (unregistered) will be reported according to relevant laws, and those violating facility/personnel standards or business operator compliance requirements will face administrative measures such as business suspension. The joint inspection teams will continuously conduct irregular planned inspections on unlicensed/unregistered businesses and those violating compliance requirements to minimize blind spots in management.

Kim Jihyun, Director of the Animal Welfare Policy Division at the Ministry, said, "As the number of people using pet service businesses continues to increase, we will establish a sound pet business order through this special inspection and continuously discover areas for improvement in systems such as the Animal Protection Act."

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