[Anchor Lead] The government has announced new measures to improve welfare for pets and ensure safety for people. The new measures mandate that all pets, when bought or sold, must be registered in advance, and that everyone who wants to have a pet receive preliminary training.
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Seo Mi-jin has had two dogs for three years now. She adopted both of them from a shelter. The first thing she did when adopting them was registering them.
[Soundbite] SEO MI-JIN(PET OWNER) : "It's easier to find registered animals when they get lost."
Only a fourth of all pets in Korea currently have ID chips or tags. Few pet owners register their pets because of the high cost and the hassle to doso. But starting in the second half of this year, animal centers must register all animals subject to sale under the buyer's name. This will help locate the owners of lost or abandoned animals. Under the new regulations, the pet adoption procedure will become more complicated. Authorities are considering introducing a new regulation in two years, where people who want to adopt a pet receive preliminary training from pet sellers. The measure seeks to ensure that owners take responsibility and properly care for their pets. To prevent accidents caused by dog bites, dog owners whose animal poses danger to the public will be required to get insurance starting next year, and use leashes that are no longer than two meters.
[Soundbite] CHO HEE-KYUNG(CEO OF KOREAN ANIMAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION) : "We believe it is imperative for pet owners to have the qualities needed to be a good pet owner. It is important to enact rules and procedures to prevent people from easily adopting animals."
Punishment for killing animals will be strengthened to less than three years in jail or a fine of under 30 million won. Currently it's a maximum two-year jail term or upto a 20 million won fine. To improve welfare for livestock animals, animal testing will be allowed only in limited cases.
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