Government considers pet ownership tax as number of abandoned animals increase amid population of pet owners reaching 15 million

[Anchor]

The domestic pet population has exceeded 15 million.

However, there is a dark side to this.

Many animals are also being abandoned, incurring significant costs.

Now, there are opinions suggesting the imposition of a pet ownership tax.

This is Jo Jeong-in reporting.

[Report]

This is a dog kindergarten in Seoul.

The homeroom teacher teaches walking manners and more.

[Jeong In-ho/Dog Kindergarten Education Team Leader: "We also do socializing training, and since they will live with their owners their entire life, we focus on the human aspect...."]

What dogs eat and wear has become more similar to those of humans.

[Song Jong-hwa/Pet Shop Employee: "In the past, we used meats that people couldn't eat to make dog food or treats, but now it's all 'human-grade' that people can eat...."]

The population of pet owners in the country is 15 million.

It was only at about 17% in 2010, but now it has reached 30%.

As the number of pets increases, the social costs associated with their management are also rising.

[Song Seok-yoon/Yongin City Animal Protection Team Leader: "(Stray dogs) keep coming in at a rate of 2 to 3 a day. We need to send out 2 to 3 a day to maintain that...."]

The cost spent on rescuing and managing stray animals reached 37.4 billion won last year.

For this reason, there are calls to consider introducing a pet ownership tax.

[Jo Chan-hyung/Lawyer: "The issue of rescuing abandoned animals ultimately stems from the problems caused by pet owners."]

There is also a significant cost issue regarding the need to accommodate 450,000 dogs raised for consumption before the grace period of the 'Dog Meat Consumption Prohibition Act' ends this year.

[Yoo Je-bum/Legislative Researcher at the National Assembly: "I think it is very difficult to secure financial resources for protecting animals."]

However, there are concerns that if a pet ownership tax is introduced, the burden of taxes may lead to an increase in abandoned animals.

[Lee Gi-jae/President of the Korea Pet Industry Association: "Most elderly people living in rural areas are from vulnerable groups. If we ask them to pay taxes, they might abandon their animals in large numbers...."]

The government has stated that while it is considering the pet ownership tax, further discussions are needed regarding which animals it would apply to.

This is Jo Jeong-in from KBS News.