Another Animal Abuse Controversy... Is It Okay for 'Petubers' to Use Pets Like This?

Increase in 'Petubers'... Ongoing Animal Abuse Controversy
Animal Protection Groups Accuse YouTubers of 'Abuse Suspicions'
Experts: "Disregard for Life Persists... Urgent Need for Institutional Measures"

Veterinary student A (26), who runs the YouTube channel 'Gapsu Farm,' has been accused of animal abuse in the process of creating content. Photo by Channel A

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] As the number of pet YouTubers (pet+youtuber) specializing in pet content increases, controversies over animal abuse continue unabated. Criticism has followed after it was revealed that some YouTubers purchased pets from pet shops or abused them by not feeding them to increase views. Animal organizations have raised their voices, urging not to use pets as a means.

Experts suggest that educational and institutional measures should be established to eradicate this issue, as the culture of disregarding animal life still remains.

Recently, a veterinary student A (26), who runs the YouTube channel 'Gapsu Farm,' was exposed for abusing animals to produce content.

According to Channel A on the 7th, students attending the same school as A witnessed scenes of animal abuse, such as A starving cats for filming and confining a puppy retriever in a cage with poor hygiene conditions.

According to reports, the animal protection organization 'Happy World with Animals' filed a complaint with the Daejeon Yuseong Police Station against A and editor B (25) on charges including violation of the Animal Protection Act, fraud, and embezzlement. The organization claimed, "A made money by disguising puppies and cats bought from pet shops as abandoned animals."

As the controversy spread, A held a live broadcast on YouTube the next day, the 8th, and admitted, "It is true that the cats came from a pet shop." A said, "I gained attention by filming stray cats, and with that attention, I aimed for a bigger channel. I sincerely apologize for filming false videos to grow the channel."

However, regarding the animal abuse allegations, A explained, "The kids (cats) follow me to the extent that they come looking for me when I am not around. Starving them is not possible. I have never abused the kids." Regarding the accusations of fraud and others, A said, "I will prove my innocence in court."

As the number of households raising pets increases every year, YouTube content centered on pets is also flooding in.

According to the '2019 National Awareness Survey on Animal Protection' announced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs last month, the number of households raising pets increased by 800,000 from the previous year to 5.91 million households. This means one in four households is raising a pet. Among them, 4.95 million households raise 5.98 million dogs, and 1.92 million households raise 2.58 million cats.

Photo by Yonhap News

The problem is that videos containing incorrect information that can threaten pet safety or scenes of animal abuse are being indiscriminately posted.

Recently, the so-called 'Toilet Paper Wall Challenge,' which tests whether pets can pass through obstacles, and 'walking cat' content showing cats on outdoor walks have been increasing, raising concerns among pet owners. Despite the high risk of unexpected accidents such as pets getting injured, these are consumed simply as entertainment without related warnings or guidance.

Additionally, last year, a male YouTuber caused controversy by verbally abusing his dog and throwing it onto a bed during a live broadcast. The man was prosecuted for repeatedly abusing the animal and was sentenced to a suspended prison term.

Experts pointed out that this can be seen as a kind of cultural lag phenomenon where pets are used as means without education or awareness of animal rights.

Lee Won-bok, head of the Korea Animal Protection Union, said, "While the population raising pets has increased and related industries have grown, a mature pet culture has not yet been established. Without a serious awareness that 'animals are precious family members and living beings,' it can be seen as a cultural lag phenomenon where people buy and raise pets like a trend, entertainment, or hobby."

Lee added, "There is a severe lack of awareness about the dignity of life and animal welfare, which may be an individual problem but also a social structural issue. Currently, there is almost no institutional support for education, promotion, or prevention regarding animal welfare and abuse. Therefore, the unconscious perception that 'animals are speechless beasts' and 'animals can be treated carelessly' still remains."

He suggested that related systems must be supported to solve these problems. He emphasized, "In foreign countries, pet shops are prohibited from bringing in animals, or mandatory education is required for a certain period before adopting pets. Systems that instill a sense of responsibility before raising pets should be established so that society recognizes animal abuse as a serious and grave crime."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.