A Puppy Left for a Year in Trash Piles and Cars
Animal Abuse Perpetrator Punished Lightly
Experts Say "Need Awareness That Animal Abuse Is a Serious Crime"
At around 12:34 a.m. on the 23rd, a dog was left unattended inside a car in the parking lot of an apartment in Haeundae, Busan. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Seunggon Han, Intern Reporter Joohee Kang] Outrage has erupted after it was revealed that a dog had been left unattended for over a year inside a passenger car parked at an apartment in Busan. In particular, residents filed multiple complaints suspecting animal abuse, but it has been pointed out that proper measures were not taken as the dog was not immediately rescued.
Additionally, criticism has been raised regarding the weak punishment for animal abuse perpetrators. Experts emphasized that a social awareness recognizing animal abuse crimes as serious offenses must be established.
At around 12:34 a.m. on the 23rd, a report was received by 112 that a dog was left unattended inside a passenger car in the parking lot of an apartment in Haeundae-gu, Busan. The dog was left inside the car, which emitted a foul odor and contained what appeared to be trash, and it was confirmed that residents had noticed the dog for over a year.
Regarding this incident, Haeundae-gu, the jurisdictional authority, received complaints and inspected the site but did not immediately isolate the dog, citing unclear evidence of animal abuse.
Furthermore, the police contacted the car owner, a woman in her 30s, several times and visited her residence but were unable to meet her, resulting in the failure to rescue the dog. This is because pets are considered personal property, and forcibly rescuing them without the owner's permission can lead to legal issues.
As a result, the inability to immediately rescue animals suffering abuse has also been pointed out as a problem.
At around 12:34 AM on the 23rd, a dog was left unattended inside a car in the parking lot of an apartment in Haeundae, Busan. /Photo by Yonhap News
In a post on an online community, netizen A said, "The dog was trapped inside the car with a pile of trash for over a year; if this isn't animal abuse, then what is?" and added, "In foreign countries, if a pet dog is left inside a car for even a few tens of minutes, they break the car window and rescue it immediately. The dog was about to die inside a sealed car with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius; shouldn't the rescue have been immediate?"
Criticism has also been raised that weak punishment for perpetrators is preventing the eradication of animal abuse. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, among 1,546 animal abuse cases filed from 2017 to May of last year, only one perpetrator was detained.
In other countries, strict standards are applied to punish those who leave pets unattended in vehicles. The United States classifies animal abuse as an antisocial crime equivalent to murder.
In Georgia, leaving a pet dog inside a car results in a punishment of six months imprisonment and a $1,000 fine. Additionally, in all U.S. states, animal abuse crimes can lead to imprisonment ranging from 2 to 15 years.
In the United Kingdom, animal abuse can result in imprisonment of up to 51 weeks or a fine of up to 30 million Korean won, and leaving a pet dog unattended inside a car for several hours can lead to a fine of ?3,500 (approximately 5.19 million Korean won).
This explains why there is criticism that despite the dog being effectively abused for a year, no significant measures were taken.
Experts emphasized that a social awareness recognizing animal abuse crimes as serious offenses must be established.
Wonbok Lee, head of the Korea Animal Protection Association, pointed out, "In Korea, the Animal Protection Act punishes acts that cause physical pain and stress to animals without justifiable reasons. Neglecting or failing to properly care for pets can also be considered animal abuse. However, there are almost no cases where imprisonment has been imposed for such cases."
He continued, "In Korea, punishments for animal abuse crimes mostly result in fines or suspended sentences," adding, "In foreign countries, neglecting pets is regarded as a crime against people. Not only do offenders receive imprisonment, but they can also face loss of ownership and restraining orders."
Lee emphasized, "Compared to foreign countries, punishments for animal abuse crimes in Korea are too weak. There is a need to establish the perception that animal abuse is a serious crime, and for that, crimes against animals must be strictly punished."
Meanwhile, the dog that had been left unattended was confirmed to have been rescued on the 27th by the animal protection organization 'CARE.' CARE reportedly judged that the dog was abused by being kept in a trash-filled car for over a year without proper health care and carried out the rescue operation.
CARE stated, "At the time of rescue, the car temperature was 48 degrees Celsius, reaching nearly 55 degrees during midday," and added, "Countries with advanced animal protection laws break car windows to rescue animals. However, in South Korea, this can lead to charges of property damage. South Korea's Animal Protection Act should allow more proactive forced measures in emergency situations."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
