The ministry categorizes Tosa, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Rottweiler, and other related mixed breeds as being fierce dogs. (image: Pixabay)
SEOUL, Sept. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — For public safety, the government will limit the length of dog leashes when taking a walk to 2 meters and make education mandatory for the owners of so-called “fierce dogs.”
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced Tuesday a revision to the Enforcement Rules of the Animal Protection Law and foretold legislation.
The revision focused on strengthening safety management to reduce casualties caused by companion animals.
Under existing laws, the length of a pet’s leash or body leash is “to the extent that it can effectively control the animal and does not harm anyone else.”
The revised bill specifically set the length to be less than 2 meters.
It also stipulated that owners should hug animals or hold the leash in public spaces inside buildings such as apartments.
However, facilities that are governed by city and provincial ordinances, such as dog playgrounds, will be allowed to permit longer or shorter leashes.
Meanwhile, the government said that those who own Tosa dogs, which are defined by the law, should receive compulsory education by the end of this month.
Dog owners who took ownership of their pet before March 21 are required to complete training by September 30.
Meanwhile, those who purchased dog after March 21 will have to complete an education program within six months of the date of purchase.
The Ministry classified Tosa, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Rottweiler, and other related mixed breeds as fierce dogs.
Owners of fierce dogs can complete the education program online at http://animal.go.kr or https://apms.epis.or.kr.
If dog owners do not complete the education program within the set deadline, they will have to pay up to 3 million won in fines, depending on the number of violations under the Animal Protection Act.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
