'Caught the culprit who pierced a dog with an arrow'... "I didn't think it would hit," he excuses

Thinking It Harms the Chickens Raised
Purchased 20 Arrows Straight and Made a Bow

A dog with its torso pierced by an arrow was found in Jeju, sparking public outrage, and the man who shot the bow was caught after about seven months.

The Jeju Western Police Station announced that they have arrested and are investigating a man in his 40s, identified as A, on charges of violating the Animal Protection Act, according to a report by Yonhap News on the same day.

A is suspected of shooting an arrow at a dog wandering around the warehouse next to his vinyl greenhouse in Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo City, Jeju, between 7 and 9 p.m. on August 25 last year.

"The dogs were harming my chickens" Made a bow and shot arrows directly

Injured dog hit by an arrow passing through a road in Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju City
[Photo by Jeju Western Police Station]

In August 2021, A developed negative feelings toward the dogs in the area because they were damaging the chickens he was raising. He purchased 20 arrows through overseas direct purchase and made a bow himself.

On the day of the crime, he shot an arrow at a dog wandering near the warehouse next to the vinyl greenhouse. During the police investigation, A stated, "I shot without thinking, I really didn't expect to hit it."

However, the police stated, "The victim dog was not actually harming A’s chickens."

After about seven months of investigation, the police arrested A the day before and seized some arrows and other evidence.

The victim dog was found on the morning of August 26 last year, the day after the estimated crime time, at around 8:29 a.m., near the village hall in Cheongsu-ri, Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju City, about 10 km in a straight line from the crime scene, with an arrow embedded in its back.

At the time of rescue, the dog was motionless and panting heavily, showing signs of distress.

About 480 people involved over 7 months in intensive investigation

The dog hit by an arrow at the time of rescue [Source=Jeju City]

The police started the investigation after receiving the report, conducting inquiries and analyzing nearby closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage.

However, since the area where the dog was wandering with the arrow was a mid-mountainous region with few CCTVs and little human presence, it was difficult to track the victim dog’s movements and identify the suspect.

The 70 cm-long arrow that pierced the dog’s back was a general archery arrow easily available online, making it difficult to trace the owner of the arrow.

To find even small clues, the police made and distributed flyers and posted on online communities to receive tips, but no meaningful information was obtained.

About 480 people were involved over seven months in an intensive investigation. Collaborating with the autonomous police unit, they thoroughly checked surrounding CCTVs, confirmed the victim dog’s movements, and conducted persistent inquiries, which led to the arrest of the suspect.

The victim dog received surgery to remove the arrow and treatment immediately after being rescued on the day it was found, has recovered health-wise, and is currently in a protection facility in another region. It is scheduled to be adopted overseas.

Although the dog was wearing an old collar when found, suggesting it might have an owner, there was no identification tag or registration chip, and no one came forward claiming to be the owner.

The police are currently investigating whether A has any other related offenses.