Co-owners of registered pets to gain access to registration records

People who jointly own a pet will soon be able to look up the animal's registration information directly.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Monday it will upgrade the National Animal Protection Information System to grant co-owners the ability to query pet registration records.

Under the existing system, only the primary registered owner could access such information — a restriction that drew complaints from co-owners who found it difficult to verify their pet's registration status when using shared facilities such as dog parks. The ministry updated the system to remove that barrier.

The service will be available not only through the National Animal Protection Information System but also, on a rolling basis, through private apps that support simplified identity verification.

Compatible apps include PASS, All-One Bank, Woori WON Banking and i-PIN.

The ministry also overhauled the system to align with an expansion of mandatory registration requirements for animal breeders.

Under a revised enforcement decree of the Animal Protection Act taking effect June 3, breeders must register all dogs 12 months or older kept at their facilities. The system has been updated accordingly to allow breeders to submit registration applications for those animals.

The ministry said it expects the changes to improve convenience for pet owners and raise animal welfare standards at commercial breeding facilities.

"This is a measure to reduce inconvenience for pet owners and improve welfare standards at pet-related businesses," Kim Dong-il, head of the ministry's animal protection division, said. "We will continue to identify and improve animal welfare services that people can feel in their daily lives."