Pet owners who fail to register their animals will face fines of up to 600,000 won. Gimhae, a city in South Gyeongsang Province, said it will conduct an intensive crackdown on unregistered pets from the 21st through the 19th of next month.
The crackdown aims to effectively establish the animal registration system, which has been operated with a focus on promotion and guidance, and to strengthen the social responsibility of pet owners. The city has organized a joint inspection team consisting of the livestock division's animal welfare team and honorary animal protection officers to check whether pets are registered at major dog access areas and pet businesses, and to also inspect compliance with safety measures such as leash use and waste collection. However, animals subject to registration residing in eup and myeon areas, which are exempt from animal registration (excluding dangerous dogs), are excluded from inspection.
If a pet is found to be unregistered, fines will be imposed under the Animal Protection Act at 200,000 won for the first offense, 400,000 won for the second, and 600,000 won for the third. Fines will also be imposed for safety measure violations such as failure to use a leash or collect waste. Honorary animal protection officers will also carry out on-site promotion and guidance activities on proper pet etiquette.
"We have induced voluntary animal registration by citizens through the operation of voluntary reporting periods and continuous promotion," a Gimhae city official said. "Now we ask that people recognize pet registration not as an option but as a social responsibility that must be fulfilled, and actively participate in creating a mature pet culture."
Gimhae plans to continue managing the animal registration system by operating a second voluntary reporting period from September 1 to October 31, followed by a second intensive crackdown in November.
