(Image:Kobiz Media)
SEOUL, Aug. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — In order to prevent so-called animal hoarders from taking in more pets than they can look after properly, new guidelines regarding the matter will be issued by the government.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said yesterday that it was currently reviewing enforcement regulations concerning animal protection laws targeted at cracking down on animal hoarders.
Earlier in the year, one animal hoarder was found to have abandoned around a dozen dogs after neighbors filed a complaint against the individual.
Other advanced nations already have measures in place that limit pet owners from adopting too many household pets.
In Toronto, Canada, pet lovers cannot take in more than three pets, and in Australia, dog owners must get a permit from authorities if they want to raise more than four dogs.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said that new guidelines on animal hoarding will be issued and that violators of the guidelines should be punished to prevent animal abuse.
Thus, the new regulations will specify the actions of animal hoarders that go against the duties of a pet owner. Current animal protection laws mandate that animals be fed properly with food and water.
In addition, animals must be guaranteed exercise, rest and sleep. In the event animals get sick or hurt, they must be given immediate medical treatment.
The new guidelines will include more specific details regarding the space in which animals are raised.
The venue must not be a place prone to dangerous situations resulting from vehicles or building structures. The space must not hinder animals from lying down or carrying out daily activities.
The space must also be 2.5 times by 2 times larger than the animal in width and length.
If animals are raised outdoors, a place offering shelter from severe weather including rain and snow must be provided.
The new guidelines will also make it mandatory to separate animals in the advent of contagious diseases when several animals are raised in a single space.
The revised bill that includes the guidelines will also ensure that pet owners “provide adequate food and clean water to animals so that they do not become malnourished.”
The bill also states that excrement and urine must be removed from places of rest or feeding areas.
H. S. Seo (hsseo@koreabizwire.com)
