Increase in Animal Abuse Cases but Punishments Remain Insufficient
Animal Protection Act Amendment Passed by National Assembly on the 5th... Experts Say "Effect Will Be Limited"
Recently, as cases of animal abuse have been repeatedly discovered, awareness of animal rights is increasing.
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Wooseok] As cases of animal abuse have been repeatedly discovered recently, raising awareness of animal rights, attention is focused on whether the amendment to the Animal Protection Act, passed by the National Assembly on the 5th, can be effective in preventing animal abuse.
On the 13th, a puppy was found tied up with tape and string near a private abandoned dog shelter in Jeju Province. Volunteer A at the abandoned animal shelter revealed the situation through social media (SNS), stating that a puppy was found with its mouth and legs bound and was rescued.
A said, "The tongue was forced inside the mouth, and it was tied so tightly with string and tape that there are wounds and pus around the mouth, so we don't know how long it had been tied. The two legs were tied very tightly in a posture that would be difficult even for a person to endure, making it impossible to move, and this kind-hearted animal was thrown on a path where canola flowers were beautifully blooming but not easily visible," explaining the situation.
On the 12th, Animal Freedom Union also released a video showing a Golden Retriever being abused in a yard of a house in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do, where the dog was tied with a leash while standing on a chair and holding onto a tree with its front paws. It is known that the retriever had suffered the same abuse in January and fell from the chair, resulting in an actual choking accident.
In February, an incident occurred in Pohang, Gyeongbuk, where stray cats were confined, dismembered, and abused at an abandoned fish farm. Photo by the animal rights organization 'Kara'
But that's not all. Around January last year, an open chat room where people cruelly killed stray cats and shared photos was exposed, and in February this year, a perpetrator who confined stray cats in an abandoned fish farm in Pohang, Gyeongbuk, and committed dismemberment and abuse was caught by the police. During this process, the animal rights group 'Kara' directly went to the abandoned fish farm and rescued several cats.
Actual cases of animal abuse have been increasing recently. According to data on 'Animal Protection Act violations over the past 11 years' received by Justice Party lawmaker Lee Eun-joo from the National Police Agency, a total of 992 violations of the Animal Protection Act occurred in 2020, with 1,014 people arrested. Compared to 78 people in 2010, ten years earlier, the number of offenders violating the Animal Protection Act has increased more than tenfold.
However, among a total of 4,358 offenders violating the Animal Protection Act from 2010 to 2020, only five were detained, raising concerns that proper punishment is not being enforced.
In this situation, on the 5th, the first full revision of the 'Animal Protection Act' since 1991 was passed by the National Assembly. The amendment specified prohibited acts of animal abuse as "leaving animals in extreme heat or cold environments causing pain or injury," "forcibly feeding animals food or water without the purpose of relieving thirst, hunger, or preventing or treating disease, causing pain or injury," among others, and stipulated that violators could face up to three years imprisonment or fines up to 30 million won.
Experts have called for strengthening practical punishment for animal abusers. Lee Won-bok, head of the Korea Animal Protection Union, said, "The rate of actual prison sentences for (Animal Protection Act violation cases) is less than 1%. The problem is that courts are practically giving light punishments," criticizing, "No matter how cruel and horrific the animal abuse is, courts issue non-prosecution, fines of several tens of thousands of won, or suspended sentences, so these lenient punishments by the courts are rather expanding and reproducing horrific animal abuse."
He added, "The effect of this Animal Protection Act amendment in comprehensively reducing or preventing animal abuse will likely be limited," explaining, "Because there is nothing substantially different from the existing punishments for animal abuse, and while punishment is important, prevention measures are also necessary, but currently, preventive measures are almost nonexistent, so it is doubtful whether it will help eradicate animal abuse in the future."
Lee concluded, "I hope our society realizes that leniency, tolerance, and lenient punishment and investigation of animal abuse ultimately lead to a vicious cycle, expansion, and reproduction of animal abuse."
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