Abandonment of Pets and Disposal by Breeding Farms and Pet Shops Can Result in Maximum 'Business License Cancellation'

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' Measures to Eradicate Illegal Pet Business
Introduction of Parent Dog Registration System for Animal Breeding Industry
Establishment of Traceability System Covering All Stages from Production to Sale and Care

As cases of abandonment and disposal of old or sick animals at pet breeding facilities or exhibition venues (pet shops) continue to occur, the government has decided to strengthen penalties for such actions. Until now, administrative sanctions such as fines or business suspensions were imposed, but going forward, related laws will be amended to allow criminal penalties including fines and business license cancellations. Additionally, a registration system for breeding parent dogs will be introduced to monitor the status of parent dogs raised for breeding purposes.

On the 30th, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced the "Measures to Strengthen Management of Pet Businesses" containing these details.

With the increase in households raising pets and growing interest, the number of pet businesses has increased about tenfold over the past decade, from 2,100 in 2012 to 22,100 in 2022.

Lee Jae-sik, Director of Animal Welfare and Environment Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "Despite strengthening management and penalty regulations to improve issues such as pet commercialization and illegal business operations, problems persist due to indiscriminate production and sales of pets, including animal abuse of breeding dogs at some pet businesses and irregular operations (new types of pet shops) exploiting demand for pet abandonment." He added, "The Ministry has prepared these measures to fundamentally improve problems related to pet businesses."

Introduction of Breeding Parent Dog Registration System from Next Year

First, next year, a breeding parent dog registration system will be introduced by adding parent dogs at animal production facilities to the scope of animals subject to registration. Currently, only dogs kept as pets in homes are registered, but going forward, parent dogs raised for breeding purposes at breeding facilities will also be required to register, thereby strengthening management such as tracking the number of animals and creating individual management cards. Based on the status of breeding parent dogs, the Ministry plans to manage compliance with business operator obligations such as observing the dam's postpartum rest period (10 months), prohibiting the sale of dogs and cats under 2 months of age, and banning mating and birth under 12 months of age. However, considering the cost of animal registration and the implementation period for registration procedures, the Ministry plans to complete animal registration for breeding parent dogs by 2026.

Along with registering breeding parent dogs, individual identification numbers will be assigned to puppies for management, and this will be linked to the animal registration system to promote traceability throughout all stages from production, sale, raising, to eventual deregistration of pets. A pet traceability system linking breeding parent dog registration numbers and puppy individual numbers with the animal registration system will be established between 2024 and 2026, and when pets are transferred between individuals, the dam's animal registration number will also be recorded. To this end, the Ministry plans to study the introduction of a pet traceability system, including reforming the animal registration number system, by the end of this year.

Strengthening Punishment for Animal Abuse in Business Facilities

Penalties and management for abuse of animals raised in business facilities will also be strengthened. Under current law, transactions involving abandonment or disposal of aged or sick animals are subject to a fine of 3 million KRW and a 3-month business suspension. However, going forward, offenders may face a fine of 3 million KRW and cancellation of business licenses.

The scope of industries required to install CCTV will also be expanded. Currently, mandatory CCTV installation applies to five types of businesses: sales, funeral services, consignment management, grooming, and transportation. Three additional types?production, import, and exhibition businesses?will be added.

The Ministry plans to convert the registered animal exhibition business into a licensed business and strengthen the licensing review process. In the second half of this year, a revision to the Animal Protection Act will be prepared and proposed to convert animal exhibition businesses into licensed businesses, thereby enhancing on-site and facility inspections and reviews of facilities, personnel, and business plans.

Additionally, the Ministry will intensify crackdowns on illegal businesses. Through continuous joint and planned inspections by central government, local governments, and private organizations, and by strengthening cooperation systems, strict penalties will be imposed upon detection of illegal or irregular business operations. The Ministry is also considering establishing counseling channels to absorb demand for pet abandonment and strengthening pre-adoption education for prospective pet families and children.

The policy director stated, "We will fundamentally improve the problem of illegal breeding facilities through the establishment of a pet traceability system," and added, "Through the thorough implementation of the newly prepared measures to strengthen pet business management, we will eradicate illegal and irregular pet business activities and continue efforts to establish a pet business system based on animal welfare."