Girl Bitten by Large Dog Without Muzzle at Camping Site, Court Fines Owner 5 Million Won

Court: "Severe Laceration and Inadequate Compensation for Damages"

A young girl was bitten by a large dog without a muzzle and with a loose leash at a camping site in Gangwon last year, and the court sentenced the dog's owner, a woman in her 30s who also operates the camping site, to a fine.

According to Yonhap News on the 23rd, the Wonju Branch of Chuncheon District Court sentenced A (35, female), who was charged with negligent injury, to a fine of 5 million won.

Chuncheon District Court Wonju Branch. Yonhap News

A was tried for injuring B (11), a guest, due to negligence in managing a large dog at her camping site in Hoengseong-gun around 5 p.m. on July 5 last year.

According to the indictment, A’s large dog ran at B and bit her lip. The dog had no muzzle and its leash was hanging loosely. There was no fence installed around the dog.

In court, A’s side claimed, "We warned B not to touch the large dog’s toy and not to get close, but B approached and was bitten. The accident was completely unforeseeable. We did not violate the duty of care." The court did not accept the claim that there was no breach of duty of care.

The court ruled, "There is a duty of care to raise the dog in a safe environment so that guests are not bitten, but the dog was in a state where anyone could easily approach it, and although warnings were given at the time of the accident, they were insufficient to restrain the situation."

It added, "According to the police site inspection video, the large dog had a toy nearby and showed its teeth, barking and rushing when a person approached. The defendant should have fully understood the dog’s characteristics and taken preventive measures against accidents," and "Considering that sufficient compensation for the damage has not been made, the sentence was determined comprehensively."

Meanwhile, a video released on a comedian’s YouTube channel in May last year filmed walking companion dogs without the owners’ consent and evaluated 'wearing a muzzle' as a measure of respect along with ID tags and waste collection.

According to statistics released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs last year, as of 2022, about 6.02 million households in Korea keep companion animals. This means 25.4% of all households live with companion animals. Considering the increase in pet owners, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has been conducting a regulatory sandbox pilot project since December 2022, allowing companion animals to enter some cafes and restaurants.