Pet Industry News and Updates — May 16, 2026

Pet Industry & Business Trends

"Big 3" Funeral Firms Go All-in on Pet Market

Boram Group has officially signed a partnership with Modupet Group to expand its pet funeral service business. This means the "Big 3" of the funeral industry have now all entered the pet market, joining other cross-industry players like Coway and KT. The pet industry is seeing rapid expansion across all service sectors, including care, travel, and funeral services.

Georgia Implements Legal Limits on Pet Breeding

Georgia has introduced a new law limiting pet breeding to once per year. Once the legal breeding period concludes, animals must undergo neutering, with legal penalties in place for those who violate the regulation. This move is being noted as part of a growing global trend toward regulating animal breeding.

Layer Hen Farms Pushing for Animal Welfare Transitions

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs held a meeting led by the Livestock Policy Officer to ensure the smooth implementation of improved housing density standards for layer hens (from 0.05㎡ to 0.075㎡ per bird), confirming the commitment of farms to transition to animal welfare standards. The shift toward higher welfare standards in the egg industry is steadily accelerating.

---

Policy & Legal Updates

Crackdown on Illegal Breeding Ahead of Dog Meat Ban

With the dog meat ban set to take effect next year, the government is ramping up oversight on dog meat farms suspected of closing down only to secretly resume operations or raise dogs illicitly. Violators will face repercussions, including the clawback of previously issued subsidies. The government plans to conduct a thorough census of remaining farms to ensure full compliance before the ban kicks in.

Public Veterinary Service Act Passes, but Implementation Remains Uncertain

Although the amended Public Veterinary Service Act has passed the National Assembly, controversy over its actual implementation continues. According to DailyVet, the veterinary community remains concerned about the lack of specific operational guidelines and inconsistencies between the new law and existing regulations.

Korean Veterinary Medical Association Holds First 2026 Meeting of Affiliate Heads

The Korean Veterinary Medical Association (President Woo Yeon-chul) held its first meeting of 2026 for affiliate organization heads at the Veterinary Science Hall in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do. The core focus of the meeting was to discuss key industry issues and explore rational development strategies that reflect the realities of each veterinary sector.

---

Health & Lifestyle Tips

⚠️ As there is limited new data on pet health published after May 14, 2026, the following is a summary of the most relevant recent information available.

Growth of the Pet Home Care Market: Proactive Health Management

There is a growing trend of utilizing pet health data collected at home through AI-based smartphone diagnostics and home testing kits. Owners are moving away from the traditional model of "visit the vet only when sick" toward proactive daily management, including personalized diet choices, activity tracking, and lifestyle adjustments.

Inflation and the Rise of "Value-for-Money" Pet Spending

As inflation drives pet owners to cut back on dining and shopping, many find it difficult to reduce fixed expenses for pets like food and supplies. Consequently, there is a clear trend toward choosing "value-for-money" products where quality differences are minimal but prices are lower.

Pet Food Market: The Rise of "Healthy Ingredients"

Driven by the "Pet Humanization" trend, there is an increasing demand for pet food and treats made with healthy, high-quality ingredients. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' "2025 Pet Ownership Status Survey," 29.2% of Korean households own pets, and pet owners are becoming increasingly discerning about what they feed their companions.