Dog Tied to Vehicle Running at 80 km/h... 'Suspended Sentence'

Photo by Animal Freedom Society SNS capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Yeeun] The dog owner who was charged with hanging his dog behind a vehicle and driving about 5 km, causing the dog’s death, was sentenced to probation.

On the 24th, the Daegu District Court Sangju Branch Criminal Division (Judge Hwang Seongwook) sentenced Mr. A, who was charged with violating the Animal Protection Act (abuse), to 4 months in prison with 1 year of probation.

Earlier, Mr. A was accused of tying his dog behind his vehicle and causing its death on a road in Naeseo-myeon, Sangju-si, Gyeongbuk, on March 7.

The case came to light after the Animal Freedom Union reviewed the black box footage from the vehicle behind Mr. A’s car and judged it as animal abuse, then reported it to the police.

The driver of the following vehicle stated, "I witnessed a vehicle driving at 60-80 km/h with a dog tied by the neck and hanging behind it. I chased the vehicle and saw bloodstains along the path the abusive vehicle passed." He added, "When the vehicle briefly stopped, I checked closely and saw that the dog’s four legs were crushed and covered in purple blood, and it was in a tragic state, motionless as if already dead."

The Animal Freedom Union said, "This is a clear case of animal abuse that led to the animal’s death in a cruel manner," and reported it to the Sangju Police Station in Gyeongbuk. The case was later transferred to the Daegu District Prosecutors’ Office Sangju Branch.

According to the Animal Freedom Union, Mr. A admitted to the act during the investigation but claimed there was no intent. Mr. A reportedly said, "I usually tie the dog behind the car for exercise and drive at low speed. I was going to the hospital, but since that day (the day of the incident) was Sunday, I couldn’t go, and I found the dog dead the next day."

The court stated, "The defendant shows a lack of respect for life and the crime is not light," but also said, "The defendant admitted the crime and took the dog to a veterinary hospital, so it appears there was no initial intent to kill," explaining the reasoning for the sentence.