Nowadays, it is no exaggeration that many Koreans consider pets to be an integral part of their family. Therefore, the government has begun to collect opinions on animal welfare policies to improve the existing system.
On Aug. 10, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that they would conduct research services, including public opinion polls, on the introduction of a pet tax. The pet tax is a system that collects a certain amount of money every year from those who raise pets. It is used for funds related to animal welfare, such as animal hospitals and medical insurance. There are arguments both for and against the pet tax.
The Korea Pet Industry Retail Association (KPIRA), questioned the effectiveness of the tax, saying, “If taxes are collected, more pets will be discarded,” and that “We cannot confirm whether they raise animals without visiting their homes.” He added, “Currently, Korea has no clear definition of companion animals, and speculative statistics are causing a lot of confusion and problems.”
On the other hand, Professor Kwon Yong-soo (Konkuk University) who wrote a thesis on the pet tax, said, “The government’s national tasks include several policies for pet owners such as reducing medical expenses and revitalizing pet insurance, thus raising expectations that the owners can eventually benefit.”
Then, how is a pet tax used abroad? The pet tax in Germany is levied as a local tax, not a national one. It generally costs around 100EUR per dog. The tax collected in this way is used for cleaning dogs’ excrement left in the streets or operating animal protection facilities.
The Netherlands and Austria are also collecting pet ownership taxes as local taxes. The tax levied is worked similarly to that of Germany. It is used to support free neutering or to operate animal police that monitor animal abuse and abandonment.
Regarding the protection of pets, the budget for welfare measures is steadily increasing. The government believes that it is necessary to hold pet owners responsible for some of the social costs through pet taxes. However, it has been pointed out that the government has yet to provide a clear purpose moving forward with this issue. Therefore, the government needs to establish a clear system of a pet tax so pets can stay safe and happy with their owners.