Pet Registration Rate to Reach 70% by 2024... Center Takeover Considered for Military Enlistment and Prison Admission

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The government announced on the 30th that it aims to raise the pet registration rate to 70% by 2024 to improve animal protection and welfare. Additionally, it plans to strengthen management by completing neutering of outdoor-bred dogs at a rate of over 85% by 2026. The government is also considering introducing a 'Pet Acceptance System' that allows people to leave their pets at animal protection centers when they enlist in the military or are incarcerated.

On the morning of the 30th, the government reviewed and finalized the "Improvement Plan for the Management System of Abandoned Pets," prepared under the supervision of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, at the 133rd National Policy Issue Inspection and Coordination Meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum.

First, despite seven years since the implementation of the pet registration system in 2013, the registration rate remains only 38.6% (as of 2020). The government plans to raise this to over 70%, the level of advanced pet-owning countries, by 2024. To achieve this, various policy measures will be pursued, including restricting services for unregistered animals when using public facilities related to pets and expanding mandatory registration areas.

Furthermore, in response to increasing concerns about outdoor-bred dogs (madang-gae) in rural areas breeding or being lost/abandoned, which poses threats to human and livestock safety, the government plans to actively promote a nationwide neutering project targeting outdoor-bred dogs. Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs estimates the target scale to be about 375,000 female dogs in eup and myeon areas nationwide.

Alongside this, the government will consider introducing a pet acceptance system under limited conditions and strengthen education before pet adoption. This measure addresses the lack of complementary systems such as ownership transfer to appropriate institutions when pet care becomes difficult due to unavoidable reasons like illness, as well as insufficient pre-adoption education and information provision, which have led to cases of abandonment shortly after adoption without adequate preparation.

The government is reviewing the introduction of a 'Pet Acceptance System' that allows ownership transfer to animal protection centers in unavoidable cases. Recognized reasons for ownership transfer include military enlistment, incarceration in prisons or detention centers, and illness, among limited cases. Online educational content related to adoption will be provided, and incentives such as subsidies for animal registration fees will be supported upon completion of pre-adoption education.

Support for rescue activities will also be expanded. Until now, local governments have lacked expertise in capture and rescue, raising concerns about risks to reporters and public safety, and it has been difficult to compensate victims in cases of dog bite incidents involving abandoned dogs. Going forward, the government plans to encourage the formation and operation of specialized capture teams at the metropolitan city and province levels by increasing project funding and other preferential measures. It will also recommend that each local government add "abandoned dog bite incidents" to the coverage items of citizen safety insurance.

Moreover, management and supervision of local government-commissioned animal protection centers (228 locations) will be strengthened. Due to local governments' lack of capacity and negligence, poor facility operations and illegal activities (such as animal abuse and selling protected dogs to dog farms) have continued. The government plans to conduct a nationwide joint inspection by central and local authorities to focus on compliance with facility standards and regulations at all commissioned animal protection centers.

Additionally, management and supervision of commissioned animal protection centers will be reinforced by establishing penalties for violations of euthanasia regulations and expanding grounds for cancellation of center designation. The government will promote the formalization of private animal protection facilities and expand the scope of lawful locations.

Alongside these measures, the government will pursue systematization of pet information management. It will enhance the Animal Protection Management System currently operated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and prepare guidelines for unified data entry.

Furthermore, when reporting a change of residence, the updated address of the owner (resident registration information) will be linked and reflected in the animal registration information (Animal Protection Management System). In addition to the Animal Protection Management System, changes in ownership and other information will be allowed to be reported through Government24, making it easier to report changes.

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