Gyeonggi Province Operates Voluntary Registration Period for Pet Registration Through End of September

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gap-dong] Gyeonggi Province announced on the 6th that it will operate a '2024 Pet Registration Voluntary Reporting Period' through September 30.

The 'pet registration system' is being implemented based on the Animal Protection Act to strengthen pet owners' sense of responsibility for pet care and to prevent the loss and abandonment of pets. Dogs aged two months or older kept for pet purposes in residential areas, semi-residential areas, or other locations must be registered. Cats kept for pet purposes can also be registered.

The voluntary reporting period runs until September 30, and owners can apply for pet registration at designated registration agencies such as animal hospitals. Designated pet registration agencies can be found on the National Animal Protection Information System (www.animal.go.kr) or by contacting the animal protection department of the city or county office.

According to Article 15 of the Animal Protection Act, failure to register a pet will result in a fine of up to 1 million won, and if a pet is lost or the owner's information changes, failure to report within a specified period will result in a fine of up to 500,000 won. Those who complete registration or report changes to previously unregistered or unreported animals during this voluntary reporting period will be temporarily exempt from fines.

For those who have previously completed registration but whose address or contact information has changed, simple online change requests are available through the National Animal Protection Information System. However, if the owner has changed, residents can visit the city or county office directly for registration or make changes through the Government 24 website (www.gov.kr).

After the voluntary reporting period ends, concentrated enforcement actions targeting unregistered owners will be conducted for one month in October at major entry points for dogs such as parks and apartments, as well as areas with frequent complaints.

Meanwhile, the province has been implementing a 'cost support program for the pet registration system' since 2019 with 31 cities and counties, allowing registration through internal wireless identification devices with low risk of loss or damage.

Internal microchips are animal medical devices the size of a grain of rice that do not cause foreign body reactions and can be safely registered using only products that meet the required standards. Gyeonggi Province residents can register at city and county pet registration agencies, with a personal contribution of 10,000 won.

Lee Yeon-suk, head of the Province's Animal Welfare Division, urged, "We hope that during this voluntary reporting period, pet owners will complete pet registration, a legal obligation, to establish a mature and responsible pet culture."