South Korea on Wednesday announced a new set of measures for pet-related businesses to better protect animal rights in line with the growing number of pets in the country.

Under the measures, puppy farms are obligated to make the width and length of cages at least 2.5 times the size of caged animals, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Starting in 2023, the farms should also have at least one staff member for every 50 dogs or cats, compared with the previous 75.

Dogs and cats should have at least a 10-month rest between impregnation at commercial breeders, compared with the previous eight months.

South Korea toughened regulations on other types of pet-related businesses as well, with grooming salons being requested to install surveillance cameras starting next year.

The country has been making efforts to better protect animal rights as more South Koreans adopt pets.

The number of households raising pets here was estimated at 6.38 million in 2020, up 8 percent from the previous year's 5.91 million. The figure roughly translates to 28 percent of the country's 23 million households.

The calculation was based on the annual survey carried out on 5,000 respondents in October last year. (Yonhap)