Have you ever heard of the pet registration campaign? Pet registration is a system that makes it easy for pet owners to find lost pets. Actually, pet registration is not optional, but obligatory. Dog owners, whose dog is older than three months, are required to register their pet. Pet registration in the countryside, however, is excluded at this time. Pet registration is intended to prevent and protect dogs from being abandoned or lost and can be done at animal hospitals or animal medical centers.
There are three types of pet registration. The first is to insert a microchip into the dog. The microchip is a medical device that is the size of a grain of rice coated with a safe material that is not harmful to the dog. It’s true that there are still many people who are reluctant to insert an internal chip into their dogs because of safety. The second is to attach an external microchip to the dog. The external chip has a microchip inside an external pendant. This allows for chip-recognition. So, if a dog is lost, the owner can inquire into the animal protection system with its registration number. Finally, there is a way to attach a registration recognition tag to the dog. The recognition tag does not have a chip function, but the contact number or the registration number is imprinted on so that information can be checked through the animal protection system. Owners can choose whichever registration option they prefer. Then how do we update our information if we move or change our phone numbers? If the owner̓s registration information, such as an address and a phone number changed, or if a pet has been lost or died, it can be reported online through the animal protection system.
Owners caught not registering their pets must pay a fine. The first time will be a warning, but there is a fine of 200,000 won for the second and 400,000 won for the third offence. Also, if you don’t report information changes, you will be fined up to 500,000 won. It is recommended that a dog be registered as soon as possible because there is a voluntary reporting period until August. After the self-reporting period, the government says it is trying to crack down on the number of stray dogs.
What should you do when you lose your dog? Some people call 112 or 119 to find their lost dogs. But when people lose their dog, they might not know what they have to do exactly. The Ministries of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs operates the animal protection management system, which provides information on animals that are reported missing, adopted or protected. If you are looking for a lost pet, it will be helpful to use this system.
Foreign countries have long implemented a “registration system for pets.” This has enabled the government to manage pets systematically. In the U.S., which has the largest number of animals as pets, there are jobs such as an animal lawyer and an animal law specialist who specializes in legal services for animals. In Italy, a fine of 500 euro is imposed for not walking a dog, and they recommend owners raise two or more dogs together. As such, there are many systems for pet dogs in other countries. We also need various systems for pet dogs and other companion animals.
