Over 1,000 dead dogs found in horrific animal abuse case in South Korea
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One of four live dogs that was rescued from the house. The dogs are under treatment at a clinic.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM COEXISTENCE OF ANIMAL RIGHTS ON EARTH/YOUTUBE
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SEOUL - More than 1,000 dogs have been found dead on the grounds of a house in Yangpyeong, about 60km east of Seoul.
The dogs were found after a resident in the neighbourhood was unable to find their lost dog. The resident then reported it to the police.
The police are investigating a man in his 60s on charges of violating animal protection law.
KBS and other broadcasters showed blurred images of dead dogs in cages, sacks and rubber containers on the ground in the yard.
The bodies had rotted and created a layer on the ground, on top of which more dead dogs were placed to create another layer and so on, according to staff of animal rights group Care who observed the scene.
Four live dogs were rescued from the house and are under treatment at a clinic. All of them were suffering from malnutrition or skin disease, and two of them were in critical condition.
The county of Yangpyeong, in Gyeonggi province, plans to clear the bodies within this week.
The man, who has not been named yet, said he collected abandoned dogs and starved them to death.
However, animal rights activists alleged that the man was paid by dog breeders to get rid of dogs that could not breed any longer or whose commercial value has dipped.
A representative of Care told cable news channel MBN that the man was paid 10,000 won (S$10) for each dog to “take care of them”. The man then locked up the dogs and starved them to death from 2020.
Under the Animal Protection Act, those who kill an animal by failing to feed or water it on purpose are subject to up to three years’ jail term or up to a fine of 30 million won. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
