Rising Abuse... "Let's Establish an 'Animal Forensic Institute' to Uncover the Deaths of Innocent Animals" [Hello? Animal]

Increasing Animal Abuse Raises Importance of 'Animal Autopsy'
Requests for Autopsy of Suspected Abuse Cases Increase... 102 Cases in 2019 → 228 Cases in 2021
"Establish Veterinary Forensic Medicine Center to Build One-Stop Diagnostic System"
"Absolute Need for Efforts to Determine Causes of Animal Deaths and Injuries"

As animal abuse increases, the need to establish a Veterinary Forensic Medicine Center is being raised. Photo by Pixabay

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] A shooting incident occurred in the Demilitarized Zone. To uncover the truth of the case, the two main characters visit the National Forensic Service (NFS) to compare the suspect's hair with the samples found at the crime scene. The protagonists are confident that once the results come out from the NFS, they will be able to find clues to the case. This is a scene from the popular tvN drama "Military Prosecutor Doberman."

Such scenes frequently appear in dramas and movies. Characters often request autopsies from the NFS to uncover the factual truth of cases using scientific investigative techniques.

However, recently, as the need for animal autopsies has been raised, there is a growing call to establish a so-called "Animal National Forensic Service." This is because crimes involving animal abuse are increasing daily, and their brutality is intensifying, highlighting the importance of veterinary diagnosis and autopsy. With the recent revision of the Animal Protection Act, legal grounds for animal autopsies have also been established. Reporters of animal abuse or heads of local governments who receive reports or notifications can request animal examinations from city/provincial livestock quarantine officials or the head of the National Livestock Quarantine Service to determine whether the animal was abused.

Currently, brutal animal abuse crimes continue unabated. Last month in Pohang, Gyeongbuk Province, a man in his 20s who abused and brutally killed cats was arrested by the police. He is suspected of capturing dozens of cats using traps, killing them in bizarre and cruel ways, and mutilating their bodies. The site of abuse was an abandoned fish farm.

Also, on the 13th of this month in Jeju, a puppy was found abandoned with its mouth and paws tightly tied with string, and on the 19th, another puppy was found buried alive with only its mouth and nose exposed above ground, sparking public outrage. Additionally, "gore-specialized chat rooms" on Telegram, where videos or photos of animals being brutally killed are shared, are being discovered one after another.

As animal abuse crimes increase, requests for autopsies suspected of abuse to the Quarantine Headquarters are also rising. On the 18th, Koo Bok-kyung, head of the Disease Diagnosis Division at the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (Quarantine Headquarters), said at a forum titled "Training of Veterinary Forensic Experts and Establishment of Specialized Organizations for Responding to Animal Abuse," "The number of complaints requesting veterinary forensic diagnosis at the Quarantine Headquarters due to suspected animal abuse increased more than twofold from 102 cases in 2019 to 228 cases last year," adding, "With the full revision of the Animal Protection Act recently establishing legal grounds for veterinary forensic examinations of companion animals, the demand for autopsies is expected to surge this year."

With the revision of the Animal Protection Act, a legal basis has been established for veterinary forensic diagnostic work to determine cases of animal abuse. Photo by Pixabay [Image source=Pixabay]

However, while reports of suspected animal abuse are increasing, there are concerns that the lack of specialized personnel makes it difficult to determine the causes. Currently, to determine the cause of animal abuse, autopsies can be requested from the Disease Diagnosis Division of the Quarantine Headquarters, Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratories, or veterinary college pathology laboratories, but these institutions are specialized in quarantine to prevent infectious disease transmission through livestock, making it difficult to clarify exact causes.

In fact, according to comprehensive analyses of veterinary forensic examination results, death due to disease is the most common, but it is difficult to determine if this is due to exposure to infectious diseases caused by abuse. It is also not easy to confirm whether head injuries or hemorrhages are due to intentional human abuse or accidental causes such as traffic accidents. There are also concerns that a significant increase in abuse-related complaints involving companion animals like dogs and cats could disrupt diagnoses of industrial animals such as cattle, pigs, and chickens.

Therefore, there are calls to establish specialized institutions such as veterinary forensic centers to build a one-stop diagnostic system including expert visual inspections, judicial autopsies related to crimes and medical disputes, pathogen testing, imaging diagnostics, and customized toxicology tests for companion animals.

In response, the Quarantine Headquarters signed a business agreement with the National Forensic Service on the 17th. This aims to establish a collaborative and cooperative system between veterinary forensics and forensic medicine to efficiently respond to animal and human abuse crimes and to activate veterinary forensic diagnostic work. Based on this, it is expected that a scientific veterinary forensic diagnostic system will be established at the Quarantine Headquarters, and domestic veterinary forensic experts will be trained to actively resolve complaints related to animal abuse.

Animal rights organizations welcome these changes. Cho Hee-kyung, representative of Animal Freedom Union, said, "There are many animal abuse cases these days that require cause determination. To prevent recurrence of abuse, catch perpetrators, and impose strict punishment, it is necessary, but there are cases where it is difficult to accurately determine the cause despite clear signs of abuse. Many cases are dismissed due to insufficient evidence." She added, "Currently, with the agreement system between the Quarantine Headquarters and the National Forensic Service, efforts to accurately determine the causes of animal deaths and injuries are absolutely necessary. I hope that the introduction of veterinary forensics will be implemented more actively in the future."