Shooting Arrows and Damaging Both Eyes... Where Is the Suspect of Cruel Animal Abuse?

Rescue of Jindo Mix Dog with Both Eyes Injured in Cheongju, Chungbuk in September
Remote Discovery Site with No CCTV... Suspect Unknown
Suspect Who Shot Arrow into Dog's Body in Jeju Still Not Found

On August 26th, a dog with an arrow piercing its body was found in the area of Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju-si. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Although animals subjected to cruel abuse are being discovered one after another, there has been no progress in investigating the suspects. Dogs injured by arrows and with damaged eyes were rescued in the areas of Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju City, and Cheongju, Chungbuk, respectively, but the whereabouts of the abusers remain completely unknown.

According to Yonhap News on the 26th, on September 22, a Jindo mixed-breed dog with severe injuries to both eyes was found near Cheongju Sangdang Fortress. At that time, the dog was left under a drainage canal about 1 meter deep with both eyes severely damaged. The dog's entire body was in such a serious condition that it appeared to have been stabbed with a sharp weapon.

Immediately after being rescued by an animal protection organization and transferred to an animal hospital, the dog ultimately had to undergo enucleation surgery. The animal hospital reportedly stated, "Considering the deep wounds on the eyes, there is a possibility of intentional abuse, and there were marks on the legs that looked like they were caught in a trap." This dog, which became a stray after losing its owner, is known to have escaped from the shelter of the animal protection group and suffered harm.

The problem is that there has been no progress in the investigation. The Cheongju Sangdang Police Station, which launched an investigation following the organization's report, has been tracking suspects through closed-circuit television (CCTV) and inquiries. However, more than two months after the dog was found, no suspects have been identified. The police explained that the investigation is difficult because the crime scene is a very remote and sparsely populated area, and there is no CCTV covering the drainage canal. The police told Yonhap News, "We conducted bloodstain reaction tests on all village residents but found no evidence of guilt."

The animal protection organization is urging a more active investigation. The organization plans to submit a petition to the Chungbuk Police Agency, signed by about 1,800 citizens both online and offline, calling for a thorough investigation.

There is another case where the animal abuser has not been caught. On August 26, a dog with an arrow piercing its torso was rescued in Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju City. The rescued dog immediately underwent surgery to remove the arrow at the Jeju National University College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Hospital, regained health, and has since been adopted by a new owner.

After the Jeju Western Police Station cooperated with the Jeju Autonomous Police Unit to review CCTV footage around the crime scene, it is estimated that the dog wandered for at least six hours with the arrow before being rescued. However, the investigation into the suspect is facing difficulties. The area where the dog with the arrow in its body wandered is particularly dark at night due to a small number of streetlights, sparsely populated, and has few CCTVs. Although the police announced last month that they had secured additional CCTV footage around the crime scene and were expanding the investigation, the suspect who shot the arrow has not yet been identified.