Government Reviews Pet Ownership Tax and Fees
Over 120,000 Abandoned Animals Annually
Experts Say "Ownership Tax Is Necessary"
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] The government has announced that it will consider imposing ownership taxes or fees on households with companion animals, sparking intense controversy surrounding the issue.
Opinions clash between those who believe that imposing taxes will increase the number of abandoned pets and those who argue that it can reduce irresponsible adoptions and prevent abandonment.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 14th, through the '2020-24 Comprehensive Animal Welfare Plan,' that it will consider introducing a companion animal ownership tax or fee, or an animal welfare fund starting in 2022.
This appears to be a move to establish a systematic measure requiring households with companion animals to bear certain costs, as the number of abandoned animals increases annually, leading to rising related expenses.
It has been found that more than 120,000 companion animals are abandoned or lost by their owners each year. According to the '2018 Companion Animal Protection and Welfare Management Survey Results' released last year by the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, the number of abandoned and lost companion animals in 2018 was 121,077. In other words, 331 dogs and cats are abandoned or lose their owners every day.
As abandoned animals increase, operating costs including rescue and protection expenses have also risen. In 2018, the operating cost of animal protection centers was 20.04 billion KRW annually, a 28.9% increase compared to 2017. Operating costs have increased every year from 9.75 billion KRW in 2015 to 11.48 billion KRW in 2016, and 15.55 billion KRW in 2017.
Given this situation, the government plans to use the funds collected through the companion animal ownership tax or fee for the installation and operation costs of local government animal protection centers and specialized institutions.
Meanwhile, debates continue around the proposed bill. A(27), who owns a dog, expressed opposition to the introduction of the ownership tax, saying, "I worry that more people will fail to register their companion animals to avoid paying taxes. This will make management even more difficult."
He added, "Among pet owners, cases of abandoning companion animals to avoid taxes will increase. Especially, the number of abandoned animals will rise just before the ownership tax is introduced," expressing concern.
Office worker B(26) also said, "If pet shops had been eliminated, the number of abandoned animals could have been prevented from increasing. People buy them because they are cute as puppies, but when the companion animals grow up, they are abandoned on the streets," and criticized, "When we demanded the government to abolish pet shops and manage adoption systems like in foreign countries, the government ignored it, but now they want to collect taxes. It's laughable."
He continued, "If collecting taxes can help animal shelters escape poor conditions, I would gladly pay the tax. But right now, it seems like they just want to collect taxes without any other plans. Naturally, people will resist," he added.
On the other hand, some believe that it can prevent irresponsible adoptions by some pet owners. Office worker C(29) said, "There are some people who abandon their companion animals when they get old or sick. This is something that should never be done to animals," and added, "I think imposing an ownership tax might reduce such cases."
Others who support the ownership tax point out that local governments bear the costs of handling abandoned animals. One netizen said, "It is unfair for citizens who do not own companion animals to cover management costs through their taxes."
Experts argue that an ownership tax is necessary to reduce abandoned animals.
Lee Ji-yeon, head of Animal Liberation Wave, supports the introduction of the companion animal ownership tax, stating, "A lot of budget is spent on the protection and management of abandoned animals. I support introducing such a bill to supplement the related budget."
She cited the 'companion animal sales industry' as one of the reasons abandoned animals occur, explaining, "If companion animal registration is made mandatory and an ownership tax is collected, a culture of responsible pet ownership from the time of adoption will be formed. This will reduce the practice of easily buying and selling companion animals through breeding farms, auctions, and pet shops, and also decrease animal abandonment."
Regarding concerns that "the number of abandoned animals will increase after imposing taxes," she emphasized, "Although fines are imposed under current law for abandoning animals, it is necessary to strengthen crackdowns on abandoned animals."
She added, "There may be obstacles to moving in the right direction. The government will need to consider these obstacles carefully to remove them."
Professor Kim Seong-ho of the Department of Social Welfare at Korea Bible University also supported the ownership tax. He said, "By imposing an ownership tax, people who irresponsibly keep companion animals can be restrained," and added, "Predicting that abandoned animals will increase due to the ownership tax may be premature."
However, Professor Kim noted, "Because the term 'ownership tax' carries negative connotations, the terminology and the purpose of the tax need to be discussed."
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