All dogs three months or older in Seoul should carry registered labels on microchips, pendants or tags that can identify them when lost beginning next year, the city government said Sunday.

Otherwise their owners will be fined 1 million won ($924) under a new regulation aimed to better protect pets.

Dog owners can choose from three types for the registration: electronic microchips which are embedded under dogs’ skin, electronic pendants that have microchips in them, and tags on which the owners’ names and phone numbers are written.

The microchip costs 20,000 won, the pedant 15,000 won, and the tag 10,000 won.

The aims of the registration are to hold owners more responsible for their pets and reduce the number of abandoned dogs.

In Seoul more than 16,000 dogs are abandoned each year, according to the city government.

“When the dog registration is well implemented, the number of abandoned dogs will be reduced and vaccination for rabies will be well managed. The entire welfare for dogs will also be increased,” said an officer from the department of animal protection of the Seoul City Government.

Each district office provides on their webpage a list of animal clinics where people can register their dogs.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)