'Animal Version of Nth Room' Stray Cat Killer Punishment Demand Reaches 500,000 Signatures on Cheong Petition

The appearance of a cat rescued from the space where a man suspected of abusing stray cats was active.
[Photo by National Stray Cat Protection Association Instagram capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A Blue House petition demanding the strict punishment of a man in his 20s who brutally abused and killed dozens of stray cats has gained the support of over 500,000 people.

According to the Blue House petition board on the 23rd, a petition titled "Please strictly punish the Dongtan stray cat abuser *xx" had garnered about 507,000 supporters as of 2:50 PM that day, meeting the criteria for a Blue House response.

The petitioner, who posted the petition on the 18th, stated, "Please seek the maximum penalty under the Animal Protection Act?3 years imprisonment and a fine of 30 million won?against the Dongtan abuser who cruelly killed over 50 cats," attaching related news reports.

According to the petitioner, the abuser committed cruel acts using tools such as a dip net or shovel to hit, strangle, and water-torture cats at eight locations including his home and nearby convenience stores.

Additionally, the abuser shared videos and photos of the cat abuse on social networking services (SNS). In a Telegram chat room, he even described the suffering cats in the videos as "funny."

A Blue House petition demanding severe punishment for a man in his 20s who brutally abused and killed dozens of stray cats has gained support from over 500,000 people.
[Photo by Blue House Petition Website Capture]

The petitioner raised their voice, saying that current punishments for animal abuse are too lenient. They argued that similar incidents have occurred because judicial authorities have not properly punished previous animal abuse cases.

The petitioner emphasized, "How many more must die in cruel ways before the maximum legal penalty is enforced? This is not just simple animal abuse but a social issue."

They warned, "The next target of someone who kills animals could be children or people weaker than themselves. If punishments remain weak and fail to prevent harm to humans later, we will only regret it then."

Meanwhile, on the 11th, the Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station in Gyeonggi Province announced that they had referred a man in his 20s to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment without detention on charges of abusing and killing seven stray cats (violation of the Animal Protection Act).