Not a Veterinarian... Performed Vocal Cord Surgery on 58 Dogs, 30 Died

Unlicensed Vocal Cord Removal with Scissors... Antibiotics Administered
30 out of 58 Dogs Infected and Died

A man in his 60s who removed the vocal cords of about 50 dogs without a veterinary license, resulting in the death of 30 of them, was sentenced to a fine.

The Incheon District Court Criminal Division 17 (Judge Lee Ju-young) announced on the 22nd that it sentenced A (60), who was indicted for violating the Animal Protection Act and the Veterinary Act, to a fine of 1 million won.

A was charged with removing the vocal cords of 58 dogs at a dog farm operated by B in Seonwon-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, around 10 a.m. on April 30, 2021, causing injuries including the death of 30 dogs due to an unknown disease.

Although not a veterinarian, A is known to have cut out the dogs' vocal cords with scissors he had prepared in advance after opening their mouths at B's request. He was also charged with unlicensed medical practice, such as administering antibiotics to the dogs with a syringe.

The court stated the sentencing reason as “considering comprehensively the amount of the fine set in the summary order.”

Earlier, the prosecution had filed a summary indictment against A on the same charges. A summary indictment is a procedure in which the prosecutor requests a summary order from the court without referring the case to a formal trial when a fine or confiscation is deemed appropriate.

The court issued the summary order as requested by the prosecution. However, A appealed and requested a formal trial on March 31.

According to the current Veterinary Act, self-treatment of companion animals is prohibited. Violations are punishable by imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to 20 million won.

However, cases of animal abuse caused by unlicensed self-treatment, like A’s case, are occurring in various places. Accordingly, there are increasing calls to strengthen penalties for animal abuse, violations of the Animal Protection Act, and unlicensed medical practices.

A large-scale animal production company in Hwaseong, identified by Gyeonggi Province and animal protection groups earlier last month, is a representative case. Various drugs and syringes were found there, and there was even evidence of illegal cesarean sections performed with a cutter knife. Around the same time, vaccines, euthanasia drugs, oxytocin, and other hormones were found at a breeding farm in Gwangju Metropolitan City, sparking controversy.

According to data from the Ministry of Justice, prosecutions for animal abuse have been increasing: 339 cases in 2016, 509 in 2017, 601 in 2018, 1,070 in 2019, and 879 cases from January to October 2020, highlighting the need for drastic measures.