Looking for Dog Owner Who Left Dog Tied Up at Baseball Stadium in the Heat

Dog left at Changwon NC Park on the 24th
Currently being cared for by baseball stadium staff in shifts
"Follows people well... Please bring the owner quickly"

A post seeking the owner of a dog tied up and left at a baseball stadium amid the heatwave has sparked controversy. On the 26th, a post titled "Dog found at the baseball stadium today," which was uploaded on the 24th to a secondhand trading platform, spread widely on social media (SNS).

[Image source=Capture from X (formerly Twitter)]

The author, Mr. A, said, "A dog was tied up alone at NC Park Baseball Stadium in Changwon, Gyeongnam, from around 12 o'clock," and urged, "The owner should come and take it quickly." Another post on SNS also shared photos of the same dog and sought its owner. The author of that post, Mr. B, explained, "The dog seems to be friendly and have an owner, but it was alone for over two hours." Later, on the 26th, Mr. B posted additional updates showing the dog being walked and said, "It still likes people." It is reported that the dog is currently being temporarily cared for by the baseball stadium staff taking turns.

On that day, a game between the KIA Tigers and NC Dinos of the '2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League' was held at Changwon NC Park, and it is presumed that someone who came to watch the game tied up and left their pet dog. The highest daytime temperature in Changwon City at the time reached 35 degrees Celsius. Netizens who saw the story reacted with comments such as, "Leaving a dog tied up outdoors in the middle of summer is like telling it to die," "It's so heartbreaking in this heat," and "We need to find the person who left the dog behind."

According to the Animal Protection Act, abandoning a pet you have been raising can result in a fine of up to 3 million won. Until the amendment of the Animal Protection Act in 2021, a fine as an administrative penalty was imposed, but since then, the law has been strengthened to criminal punishment that leaves a lifelong record.

However, the punishment level is still low, and pet abandonment continues. According to Animal Freedom Coalition, the number of abandoned pets last year reached 111,706, with dogs accounting for 80,124 (71.7%) of the total. Cats followed with 29,896 (26.8%). Also, according to data submitted by the National Assembly Library from the National Police Agency, the number of Animal Protection Act violation cases increased significantly from 69 in 2010 to 1,290 last year, and the number of arrests rose from 64 in 2010 to 942 last year.