Memorial
PhotoHD/Restore Memorial
VideoAI Motion Tribute
Video3-5min Slideshow Pet
MemorialAI Portrait Pet
FarewellWhat the law allows GraceNote
Occasion WriterObituary/Invite/Thanks StoryKeep
Parents' WordsFree Questions & Memoir Will
CheckFree · 5 requirements Sangju
GuideWhat to do, and by when Belongings
GuideWhat not to throw away Jibang
& ChukmunSpirit tablet for the rite
PhotoHD/Restore Memorial
VideoAI Motion Tribute
Video3-5min Slideshow Pet
MemorialAI Portrait Pet
FarewellWhat the law allows GraceNote
Occasion WriterObituary/Invite/Thanks StoryKeep
Parents' WordsFree Questions & Memoir Will
CheckFree · 5 requirements Sangju
GuideWhat to do, and by when Belongings
GuideWhat not to throw away Jibang
& ChukmunSpirit tablet for the rite
What has to be done now, and what the law allows.
Burying a pet in your own garden is not legal in Korea, and a registered dog must be deregistered within 30 days — most people never hear either of these. The checklist below is free.
We are sorry for your loss.
What the law allows FREE
🕯️
Pet funeral business (동물장묘업체): cremation or funeral
legal
Cost: KRW 200,000–600,000 (depending on body weight and procedures)
A properly registered pet funeral business (동물장묘업체) carries out the cremation (or the drying method (건조장) or alkaline hydrolysis (수분해장)) and collects the remains. Many also run a funeral service and a memorial room.
★ Always check that the business is registered. In the Animal Protection Management System (동물보호관리시스템, animal.go.kr) of the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (농림축산검역본부), use the animal funeral business (동물장묘업) search to see whether it is properly registered. Cases of harm from unregistered businesses keep coming up.
🗑️
Disposal as household waste (생활폐기물)
legal
Cost: The price of a volume-based waste bag (종량제봉투)
Under the Wastes Control Act (폐기물관리법), a pet body is classified as household waste, so putting it out in a volume-based waste bag (종량제봉투) is also legal.
It is a lawful method, but most people find it emotionally hard to accept. We note it here so that you know.
🏥
Leave it with the animal hospital (동물병원)
legal
Cost: Varies by hospital (from free to tens of thousands of KRW)
If your pet died at an animal hospital, the hospital can have the body disposed of as medical waste (의료폐기물) through a contractor. You can simply leave it with the hospital.
You cannot receive the remains. If you want the remains, you need to use a pet funeral business.
⛔
Burial in the ground (garden, hillside)
NOT allowed
Cost: —
This is illegal. The same applies even to your own garden.
It breaches the Wastes Control Act (폐기물관리법), and a fine (과태료) may be imposed. Burial on a hillside or in a park is treated more seriously. It is the method people use most often, but it is not permitted by law.
How to check a crematory is licensed
Search the Animal Protection Management System at animal.go.kr — licensed animal funeral businesses are listed there. Unlicensed operators do exist.
Search the Animal Protection Management System at animal.go.kr — licensed animal funeral businesses are listed there. Unlicensed operators do exist.
Checklist FREE
1
Lay the body in a cool place
📍 Home or hospital
If it will be some time before the funeral, lay your pet down in a cool place with ice packs against the belly. In summer the body can hardly last even a day. Gently close the eyes and mouth, and if anything comes out of the body, wipe it away.
2
Decide on the funeral method
📍 Pet funeral business (동물장묘업체) / animal hospital (동물병원)
First look at the "What the law allows" table below. Burying in the garden is illegal and can cause problems later. If you want cremation, check at animal.go.kr that the business is registered, then book.
3
★ Deregistration of the animal registration (동물등록 말소신고)
within 30 days
📍 City/county/district office (시·군·구청) for your address, or Government24 (정부24)
A dog with an animal registration must be deregistered within 30 days of the day it died (Animal Protection Act, 동물보호법). Almost nobody knows about this duty, but if you do not do it, a fine (과태료) may be imposed.
If you get a funeral confirmation (장례확인서) from the pet funeral business, the report is easier. It can also be done online at Government24.
If you get a funeral confirmation (장례확인서) from the pet funeral business, the report is easier. It can also be done online at Government24.
4
Cancel pet insurance / claim the insurance payout
📍 The insurance company
If you have pet insurance, cancel it so that no more premiums are taken. Some policies pay a condolence benefit on death, so ask about that at the same time.
5
Stop automatic payments and regular deliveries
📍 Food and treat subscriptions, vet clinic plans, etc.
Few things are as painful as pet food that keeps being delivered. Cancel these ahead of time.
6
Decide how to keep the remains
📍 Columbarium (봉안당) / scattering (산골) / memorial stone (메모리얼스톤)
If your pet was cremated, you will choose between placing the remains in a columbarium (봉안당), scattering them (산골, returning them to nature) and a memorial stone (메모리얼스톤, the remains made into crystals).
You do not have to decide right away. Funeral businesses often keep the remains for a set period, so decide once you feel more settled.
You do not have to decide right away. Funeral businesses often keep the remains for a set period, so decide once you feel more settled.
7
Gather photos of your pet
Photos may be hard to look at now, but they are what people look for most later. Blurred or old photos can also be restored.
Make a memorial portrait of your pet →
8
Do not go through pet loss alone
It is a loss like losing a member of the family. If you cannot stop crying, cannot sleep, or everyday life is difficult for 2 weeks or more, it is fine to get help from a professional.
You can talk to someone on the mental health counselling line (정신건강 상담전화) 1577-0199 (24 hours, free).
You can talk to someone on the mental health counselling line (정신건강 상담전화) 1577-0199 (24 hours, free).
Please read: general guidance based on Korean law as of 2026, not legal advice. Rules and fees differ by district — confirm with your local city or district office, or with the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency.
🐾 A letter for your pet: enter the name and the date, and we turn the deadlines into real dates and write a short letter that calls your pet by name. First use is free.