Sausage Placed on Incheon Dog Walking Trail Found to Contain a 'Fish Hook'

"Deliberately left dog in a dog park full of dogs... Malicious behavior" Owner outraged

Sausage with a fishing hook found on a pet-only walking trail in Incheon / Photo by Social Networking Service (SNS) capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Controversy is growing after sausages with fishing hooks were found on a pet-only walking trail in Incheon. It has been pointed out that if a dog on a walk had unknowingly swallowed the sausage, it could have suffered serious injuries.

Dog owner A, who lives in Incheon, reported on her Instagram account on the 16th, "Today, while walking my dog, I found a Vienna sausage, but upon closer inspection, it was not just a sausage."

A was walking with her dog at 'Gaedongsan.' Gaedongsan is a dedicated space where dogs and their owners can walk together.

A said, "The sausage was hidden among fallen leaves, making it hard to spot with the naked eye. When I dug around because something felt off, I found it hooked with a fishing hook and tied to a tree with fishing line," adding, "It seemed deliberately hidden from people's view but left among the leaves so dogs could find it by smell."

She continued, "The thought of a dog eating this is horrifying," and questioned, "It was tied to a tree in Gaedongsan, where many dogs walk, so it seems like a malicious act done knowing dogs frequent the area, not just an accidental disposal."

A also shared a photo of the problematic sausage she collected. The photo shows a Vienna sausage hooked with a fishing hook, with tangled fishing line behind it.

There have been consecutive incidents of animals being killed by mixing lethal substances such as poison into their food. / Photo by Yonhap News

After discovering the 'fishing hook sausage,' A reportedly reported it to an animal protection organization. The organization plans to contact the local government in charge to install banners in the park.

A urged, "I heard that in other areas besides this park, nails have been found in snacks or ham. Please be careful so your pets don’t eat anything harmful while walking."

This is not the first case of attempts to kill animals by putting lethal substances in their snacks or feed.

Previously, between February and March last year, six dead stray cats were found in bulk in an underground parking lot of an apartment in Seoul. Citizens who found them claimed, "There was foam and blood around the cats' mouths," alleging someone had poisoned the cat food containers.

Police had the cat corpses autopsied by the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, revealing the cats were poisoned by carbofuran (a type of pesticide). The culprit had poisoned the stray cats by placing fish bones sprayed with pesticide in the food containers.

Later, police analyzed CCTV footage near the food containers and arrested suspect B, who admitted to the crime during investigation, stating, "My wife is ill, and the cats' crying at night was too loud, so I did it."

Meanwhile, under Article 46 of the current Animal Protection Act, anyone who abuses an animal causing death is subject to imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won.