Entrusted to an animal hotel... "My pet dog was killed in a road accident"

Injured Escaping Through Door Gap
Owner Claims "Negligence and Poor Management"
Hotel Says "It Was an Unintentional Accident"

A story has been shared about a dog owner who lost their beloved pet dog, considered like family, due to negligence by a pet hotel.

The dog escaped through a slightly open hotel door and was hit by a vehicle, but the owner and their family are claiming the company was careless in managing the situation.

The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Photo by Asia Economy]

According to an SBS report on the 17th, dog owner A, who lives in Jeju, left their 7-year-old Chihuahua at a pet hotel before going to Seoul for a family event last weekend.

The Chihuahua went missing around 2:30 PM on the 14th. CCTV footage inside the facility shows the Chihuahua climbing onto a black chair and then jumping over a dog fence installed in front of the entrance door. Shortly after, when a delivery person opened the door, the Chihuahua slipped out of the hotel. About 20 hours after going missing, the Chihuahua was found dead on a road approximately 2 km from the hotel.

Upon hearing the sudden news of the accident, A could not hide their grief and expressed deep anger. A’s side explained that they trusted the company and left their dog in their care, but due to negligence and carelessness, they lost their pet. They also claimed that the company did not inform them immediately after the dog went missing, causing them to miss the golden time to find it.

In an interview with SBS, A said, "It was really hard to understand how the dog could escape," and added, "What makes me angrier is that they did not notify the owners immediately after the escape."

The company explained that the accident was an unexpected incident that happened in a moment, and that contacting the owner was delayed because they were searching for the missing Chihuahua.

According to the media, a company representative stated that they recognized the situation within 5 minutes of the disappearance and reported it to an abandoned animal rescue team, suspended operations, and searched for the Chihuahua. They added, "We are truly very sorry for losing the dog. The dog was playing and being well cared for, but suddenly this situation happened in an instant," as an explanation.