Pet-friendly businesses long restricted by regulations in South Korea, such as pet drinks and mobile cremation services, are now allowed to commercialize under a government-led regulatory sandbox program.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry on May 30 approved 66 projects during a meeting of the regulatory sandbox review committee. The sandbox system temporarily lifts certain regulations to enable testing and commercialization of innovative services.
With the approval, Starbucks Korea plans to offer a “puppuccino,” a mix of pet-safe milk and powdered feed, at two stores in Namyangju and Guri, Gyeonggi Province. While such products are already common in countries like the U.S., strict domestic regulations had made this nearly impossible in Korea. Under South Korea’s Control of Livestock and Fish Feed Act, any business producing pet food must register as a livestock feed manufacturer and operate in designated facilities. This effectively barred cafés from selling pet drinks. The new regulatory exemption now allows pet-friendly stores to prepare and sell beverages specifically designed for animals.
Another green-lit service is mobile cremation for pets. Offered by Pet Heaven The Way, the service sends a certified pet funeral director to collect the pet, conduct the funeral, and cremate the remains in a specially equipped vehicle at a designated site. The ashes are then returned to the owner. Current animal welfare laws permit only fixed cremation facilities, making mobile services illegal until now. Pet Heaven The Way will pilot the service in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province.
