7 out of 22 Siamese Cats Found Dead... Woman A in Her 40s Sent to Prosecution
116,984 Cases of Animal Loss and Abandonment Occurred Last Year
Repeated Loss and Abandonment Due to Unintentional Breeding... Incentives Needed for Pet Neutering
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Junran] A woman in her 40s who abandoned dozens of cats in a studio apartment where she lived has been arrested by the police. The Jeju Eastern Police Station announced on the 4th that they have sent Ms. A, a woman in her 40s, to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment on charges of abandoning dozens of cats in a rented studio apartment (violation of the Animal Protection Act).
Ms. A is accused of abandoning 22 Siamese cats she had been raising in a studio apartment in Ido-dong, Jeju City, on August 11. When the owner of the studio apartment could not contact Ms. A, they checked inside the house, discovered the cats, and reported it to Jeju City.
The police arrested Ms. A at a location in Ulsan at the end of September. During the police investigation, Ms. A stated, "I had to move urgently and found it difficult to take all the cats with me, so I left them behind." Among the 22 rescued cats, 7 died from infections such as parvovirus, and the surviving cats were transferred to the Jeju Animal Protection Center.
Such pet abandonment cases continue to occur. In September, four kittens were abandoned along with food waste on a street in Nonsan City, Chungnam Province. The perpetrator who abandoned them was eventually caught after police inquiries, but three of the rescued kittens died.
Last month, a four-month-old puppy was found abandoned in a garbage bag and rescued, and in January, a man in his 30s was booked by the police for abandoning three cats on a road in Gwangju City, Gyeonggi Province, and fleeing the scene.
According to the '2021 Lost and Abandoned Animals Report' by Animal Freedom Coalition, a total of 116,984 cases of lost and abandoned animals occurred last year alone. Among these, 25.8% died naturally, and 15.7% were euthanized, meaning 41.5% of animals (4 out of 10) died in shelters. Adoption accounted for 32.5%, and 12% were reunited with their families.
By species, there were 84,136 cases (71.9%) involving dogs, 31,421 cases (26.9%) involving cats, and 1,427 cases (1.2%) involving other livestock species. By age, individuals under one year old accounted for the largest proportion at 53.5%.
The Animal Freedom Coalition suggests that to reduce the occurrence of lost and abandoned animals, it is necessary to expand neutering of companion dogs and improve the standards and procedures for admitting stray cats. The fact that animals under one year old make up half of all lost and abandoned animals indicates that unintended breeding and repeated abandonment are ongoing issues. Along with the government's 'Neutering Project for Outdoor Dogs in Eup and Myeon Areas' implemented this year, there is also a growing call for policies that provide incentives for neutering companion animals.
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