'Mandatory Owner Consent Before Major Treatment of Companion Animals'... Gyeonggi-do Urges Animal Hospitals to Be Aware

From July 5, Diagnosis, Expected Side Effects and Sequelae Must Be Explained and Consent Obtained
'Mandatory Notification of Medical Fees' to Be Enforced from January 5, 2023

Photo materials [Asia Economy DB]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] With the enforcement of the first measure under the revised 'Veterinary Act'?the mandatory prior explanation and written consent for major treatments such as surgery on companion animals?starting from the 5th, Gyeonggi Province has urged animal hospitals within the province to familiarize themselves with and comply with the related requirements.

Under the revised 'Veterinary Act,' veterinarians must now provide animal owners with explanations and obtain consent in advance during major treatments such as surgery. This includes the diagnosis, necessity and method of treatment, expected side effects and sequelae, and owner compliance requirements.

The scope of 'major treatments' includes surgeries involving internal organs and bones/joints that require general anesthesia, as well as blood transfusions.

Violations will result in fines of up to 1 million KRW. However, if delaying major treatment poses a risk to the animal’s life or could cause serious disability, consent may be obtained after treatment.

In particular, the revised Veterinary Act also includes obligations to notify expected treatment costs for major treatments and to post treatment costs for major animal medical services.

The obligation to notify treatment costs is scheduled to take effect on January 5 next year, while the obligation to post treatment costs will apply to animal hospitals with two or more veterinarians from January 5 next year, and to single-veterinarian animal hospitals from January 5, 2024.

Kim Jong-hoon, Director of the Animal Quarantine and Hygiene Division, stated, "We expect this revision of the Veterinary Act to serve as an opportunity to further advance animal medical services," and urged, "For the establishment and development of the system, we ask companion animal owners and animal hospitals to build mutual trust and cooperate with understanding."

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