By shortening the time limit for reporting lost dogs, authorities hope to reduce the number of cases of pet abandonment, and encourage owners to be more responsible in taking care of their pets. (image courtesy of Pixabay)
SEJONG, Sept. 25 (Korea Bizwire) – To prevent the abandonment of pet dogs, the window of time in which owners have to report their pets as lost will be reduced from 30 days to seven days.
The current law stipulates that pet owners must report changes that occur to a pet, such as a change in owners, death or their loss. If not reported, owners can be fined.
Now, changes must be reported within seven days. The purpose is to decide if rescued strays have been lost or abandoned. Before, the 30 day window for reporting was too long, making it difficult for animal shelters to sort out abandonment in the form of loss.
Ministry officials say that even if owners of abandoned dogs were tracked down, it was hard to punish them if they said they were going to report the dog because it was lost.
However, officials say that 30 days is meaningless, since dog owners who love their dogs will report the loss right away.
By shortening the time limit for reporting lost dogs, authorities hope to reduce the number of cases of pet abandonment, and encourage owners to be more responsible in taking care of their pets.
By Francine Jung (francine.jung@kobizmedia.co.kr)
