"Uncovering Unjust Deaths" Animal Abuse... Investigating Truth Through 'Animal Autopsy'

To Prove Specific Circumstances of Animal Abuse... "Animal Autopsy Needed"
Demand Increasing but Related Personnel and Budget Insufficient
Experts Say "Professional Veterinary Forensic Center Needed"

The importance of animal autopsies is increasing to accurately determine signs of animal abuse, but there is a severe shortage of related personnel, and the absence of specialized institutions is pointed out as a problem.

[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] As animal abuse continues to occur, the demand for animal autopsies to determine abuse and cause of death is increasing. However, there is a shortage of specialized institutions and a severe lack of veterinary forensic experts.

According to the '2021 Korea Pet Report (KB Financial Group Management Research Institute),' 6.04 million households in Korea, totaling 14.48 million people, own pets. According to Statistics Korea, the Korean population last year was about 51.63 million, meaning about 28% of the total population lives with pets.

However, animal abuse is also on the rise. Looking at cases where investigative agencies requested animal autopsies on suspicion of violating the Animal Protection Act, there were 102 cases in 2019 and 228 cases last year, more than doubling.

Animal autopsy scientifically analyzes the cause of death process to find the cause and result. In March this year, the cat abuse case at the abandoned fish farm in Pohang and the cat killer in Dongtan revealed the exact cause of death and additional crimes through animal autopsies.

Also, in June, a man arrested by the police on charges of abusing and brutally killing seven stray cats did not admit to the crime and exercised his right to remain silent after arrest, but only admitted to the crime after seeing the animal autopsy results at trial.

As animal abuse increases, the need for "animal autopsy" to identify causes of death and severely punish perpetrators is growing. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ How is an animal autopsy conducted... average 14 days investigation

Although the importance of animal autopsies is increasing, there is a shortage of autopsy personnel and poor conditions. There are only two veterinarians at the Quarantine Headquarters in Korea who are solely responsible for animal autopsies.

The reason animal autopsies are necessary is that scientific evidence of the crime is required for appropriate punishment of abusers. The sentencing criteria related to animal abuse charges include how many animals were killed and in what manner, so autopsy results play an important role in punishing abusers.

Also, due to lack of equipment, toxicology tests are limited to those focused on humans, so if animal poisoning is suspected, toxic substance tests must be entrusted to the National Forensic Service, and if imaging diagnosis is needed for injuries such as contusions or wounds caused by weapons, nearby animal hospitals must be visited.

In this regard, the Disease Diagnosis Division of the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency located in Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk, researches and diagnoses diseases in mammals. It mainly clarifies the cause of death through autopsy and studies the cause of disease through histological examination.

It takes an average of 14 days to determine the cause of death. The process proceeds in the order of ▲request reception ▲radiography ▲autopsy ▲pathogen and toxic substance tests. During the autopsy, lesion areas are identified and judgments are made through additional case investigations and document reviews.

Many people are unaware that animal corpses can be autopsied, so cases where bodies are left on site for a long time or damaged, requiring death circumstances to be estimated only from photos, are frequent.

On April 18th, a "Forum on Training Veterinary Forensic Experts and Establishing a Specialized Organization to Respond to Animal Abuse" was held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul. Officials from the National Police Agency, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Animal Freedom Coalition, National Forensic Service, Korean Veterinary Medical Association, and Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs attended to discuss measures for establishing a veterinary forensic system to respond to animal abuse. Photo by Eunju Lee, official blog of the Justice Party lawmaker

◆ Government holds forum to establish veterinary forensic medicine to 'stop animal abuse'

Although animal abuse continues, with weak punishment levels and difficulty in catching perpetrators, the government has begun preparing systems related to 'animal autopsy.'

At the 'Forum on Training Veterinary Forensic Experts and Establishing Specialized Organizations for Responding to Animal Abuse' held in April at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, the importance of animal autopsy using veterinary forensic medicine was discussed as a way to prove increasing animal abuse and punish abusers. Veterinary forensic medicine is a branch of applied veterinary medicine that provides veterinary evaluations of various evidence necessary for criminal investigations or judicial trials related to animals.

In the United States, veterinary forensic medicine has been used since the late 1990s to investigate and punish animal abusers. Since 2014, the nonprofit American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has had a forensic science team that provides forensic evaluations to the New York Police Department (NYPD) investigating animal abuse cases.

Lee Won-bok, representative of the Korea Animal Protection Alliance, said, "Unlike autopsies on corpses that can be done through the National Forensic Service, there are few institutions that can judge accidents involving animals." He added, "Animal autopsies can be used as evidence to find abusers or support when suspects deny charges," emphasizing, "For the animal autopsy field to develop in the future, facilities, equipment, systems, and budgets are necessary."