Pet Center Director Stores Live Abandoned Dogs in Freezer... Fined 3 Million Won

A former director of the Cheongju Pet Center was fined for putting a dog in a freezer, causing it to freeze to death. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Ju-hee] A former director of the Cheongju Companion Animal Center was fined for putting a stray dog in a freezer, causing it to freeze to death.

The Cheongju District Court Criminal Division 3 (Judge Ko Chun-soon) announced on the 29th that it sentenced A (46), the former director of the Cheongju Companion Animal Center, who was charged with violating the Animal Protection Act, to a fine of 3 million won.

The court stated, "The defendant placed a living stray dog in the morgue, where dead animals are stored, but did not observe its health condition or take any measures to sustain its life," adding, "The defendant's actions can be seen as causing the animal's death in a cruel manner."

It continued, "The defendant's crime of causing the animal's death in a cruel way is of a serious nature and requires a corresponding punishment," explaining the sentencing rationale.

A is accused of putting a dog, which had been moved to the center after suffering from heatstroke in 2018, into the frozen morgue, causing it to freeze to death.

The dog was discovered the next day around 9 a.m. by a staff member who had come to work at the protection center.

It was confirmed that after leaving work that day, A sent text messages to employees saying, "It will be a headache if it comes back to life again. It is extremely vicious. If it dies, it will rot."

In court, A denied the charges, claiming that the dog was moved to the morgue, a cool place, to lower its body temperature.

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