Dog owners residing in South Korea will be required by law to register their pets, officials said Sunday, as the government is set to expand its mandatory pet registration rule nationwide starting in 2013.

The push to widen the obligatory registration of companion dogs comes as the number of abandoned pets and the cost of rescuing and finding new homes for them rises.

Starting in 2013, South Korean residents raising companion dogs that are three months old or older must register their pets with local governments, the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said.

The government may impose a fine of up to 1 million won ($864) on those who fail to register their companion dogs or those who do not report their new addresses to authorities, it said.

The rule applies only to dogs that are raised in households or raised for the purpose of providing companionship, the ministry said.

The new rule is a revision of the existing law that mandates registration of dogs in five cities and provinces.

South Korea implemented mandatory registration of dogs in Busan, Incheon, Daejeon, Gyeonggi Province and Jeju Island. More than 100,000 dogs were registered as of 2009.

According to the ministry, the number of animals that were left behind by their owners stood at 10,899 in 2010, quadruple the figure from 2003. The cost of rescuing them and offering them shelter until they find new homes hit 10.23 billion won ($8.84 million) last year.

The upcoming revision, which will take effect on Feb. 5 next year, also includes clauses on animal abuse and sale of animals.

The government may remove abused animals from their owners’ homes and charge the owners the expense of the animal’s treatment.

Owners of any companion animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits and others, must register their pets with authorities before they try to sell them. (Yonhap News)