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| A young girl holds her pet dog while watching the sunrise at Mount Nam on Jan. 1, 2018. / Korea Times file |
By Jun Ji-hye, Lee Suh-yoon
The government is facing growing backlash from pet owners over its plan to introduce a tax on possessing pets. Pet owners claim they already spend a lot of money to care for their animals.
A plan to introduce the "pet tax" was included in sweeping measures announced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), Tuesday, aimed at more effectively curbing animal abuse, protecting abandoned pets and improving animal welfare.
A ministry official told The Korea Times Friday that the MAFRA will review a variety of issues involving the pet tax before pushing to revise the Animal Protection Law and other relevant regulations.
"If introduced, the pet tax would be used to construct and operate shelters for abandoned animals and other professional facilities to protect them," the official said.
The measure was drawn up amid the rapidly increasing number of abandoned dogs here, and the increasing costs incurred by local governments in handling the issue.
The number of abandoned animals in Korea has been steadily climbing, reaching 121,000 in 2018, according to ministry data.
Pet owners said, however, that it was nonsense for those who are raising their pets well to share the responsibility of those who abandon them.
"Taxes are collected on income. Levying a tax on pet possession seems to be against this principle as pet owners do not get any economic gain from their pets," said Lee Ji-yoon, a 37-year-old office worker in Seoul.
Objectors also raised concerns that there would be more people who abandon dogs to avoid the tax if the pet tax were introduced.
Kim Sang-rok, a 34-year-old small business owner, added, "I would not be able to know whether the tax I pay is used transparently for the right purposes."
Regarding such concerns, the ministry official said, "A feasibility study on the pet tax and discussion between relevant ministries will begin in 2022. We will collect various opinions so the tax can bring due benefits to pet owners."
Except the pet tax, most of the measures announced by the ministry, which will be pushed for over the next five years, have been generating positive responses from animal rights groups and pet owners.
The measures include mandatory registration of pets and special training for "pet owners to-be."
"Registration was already mandatory but had a very low participation rate because there was a three-month grace period," Cho Hee-kyung, head of Korean Welfare Association, told The Korea Times. "Few came back to the shop to register. Now that pets can be registered at the time of purchase, we expect a higher registration rate."
Better registration can help locate lost pets, and make owners think twice about abandoning them on the streets.
For the deterrent to be effective, Cho said the government's next step should be making chip implants necessary in the registration process.
"With nametag registration, owners can evade authorities by simply taking off the pet's tag before abandoning them," she said. "With chip implants and other measures to better monitor the pet industry, we can create a positive cycle of lower rates of abandonment and more shelter adoptions."
Authorities will also track down and file criminal charges against people who abandon their pets.
Those found guilty will be subject to a 3 million won ($2,590) fine. Until now, those who abandoned their pets already faced a 3 million won administrative fine but were never caught because the act was not classified as being criminal, and thus authorities could not open formal investigations or check CCTV footage in order to track down the owners.
Additionally, the ministry plans to put together a short education program that warns pet owners to-be of their responsibilities before the purchase. It will also look into introducing animal welfare classes for elementary, middle and high school students by next year.
Pet owners who keep pets tied up with a short leash at home or keep them confined in small spaces without sunlight will also face penalties, the ministry said.
Those who abuse their pets, causing death will face up to 3 years in prison or a fine of 30 million won, and be barred from owning pets in the future.
