"Placing Cat on Car Roof to Exercise It... Controversy Over 'Pet Abuse'"

Driving with a Cat Placed on the Car... Repeated Cruelty by Pet Owners
Revised Animal Protection Act Strengthens Abuse Penalties but Has Loopholes
Experts Say "Perpetrators Must Be Properly Punished"

A video of a vehicle driving with a cat wearing a collar placed on the hood in Haeundae, Busan on the 13th./Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] After a video showing a cat placed on the hood of a car while driving on the road was released online, sparking controversy over animal abuse, the owner claimed that they were merely exercising their beloved pet cat, causing another wave of controversy. This incident occurred amid public outrage over owners committing irrational acts toward their pets, such as the earlier case where a dog on a leash was spun around in the air.

There are calls for effective measures to prevent animal abuse, including broadening punishments for owners who mistreat their pets. Experts emphasize the need for improvements, such as creating detailed legal provisions to punish abusers.

According to the Busan Haeundae Police Station on the 13th, a report was received around 12:30 p.m. that a driver was operating a Mercedes-Benz vehicle with a leashed cat placed on the hood on a road in Marine City, U-dong, Haeundae-gu.

Some citizens who witnessed the situation filmed the precariously perched cat on the car and reported it to the police. The video shows a black Mercedes-Benz, which was stationary, starting to move, causing the cat on the hood to stagger.

As the vehicle continued moving, the cat slipped and clung to the hood as if about to fall off. Although the car was not driving at high speed, the situation was dangerously close to causing a serious accident. The video spread on social media and online communities, leading to an animal abuse controversy.

As the controversy grew, the vehicle owner, Mr. A, explained that the cat is his pet and that he was exercising the cat. In a phone call with the police, Mr. A stated, "The cat in the photo is my pet currently living at home. I usually place it on the car hood and drive slowly to substitute for exercise," and claimed, "This is a misunderstanding of animal abuse."

Currently, Mr. A is confirmed to be staying in another area, and the police plan to summon him soon for investigation on suspicion of animal abuse.

A video showing an owner in Pohang, Gyeongbuk, last December suddenly grabbing their dog's leash and spinning it around in the air, abusing the dog during a walk. Photo by Instagram capture.

Citizens are outraged by Mr. A's claim that this is not animal abuse. Kim, a 29-year-old office worker who owns a cat, expressed anger after watching the video, saying, "What kind of owner puts their cat on a car hood to exercise it?"

Kim criticized, "If someone truly values their pet like family, who would put it on a car and drive? People who do such things are unfit to own pets. From the animal's perspective, it must have felt a terrifying threat to its life."

Recently, controversies over animal abuse have continued as more cases of owners committing harsh acts toward their pets have come to light.

In December last year, a video from Pohang, Gyeongbuk, showed two people spinning a leashed dog in the air while walking, sparking controversy.

The person holding the leash suddenly swung the dog in three circles in the air, similar to a traditional Korean fire-spinning game called Jwibulnori. Another person nearby neither stopped the act nor showed signs of shock. The dog owner reportedly told the police, "I did it for fun because the dog was cute," during the investigation.

According to Pohang City, after the incident, the dog was isolated and protected for five days, and the owner took the dog back on the 13th of last month. Under the current Animal Protection Act, even if an abused dog is isolated in a shelter, the owner must be allowed to reclaim the dog upon request, as animals are considered private property and ownership cannot be forcibly taken away.

This has led to criticism that protective measures for abused animals are insufficient. There are calls for stronger actions, such as revoking ownership rights from abusers with a history of animal abuse.

Since the 12th, amendments to the "Animal Protection Act" and its enforcement decree and rules, focusing on penalties for animal abuse, safety management, and welfare enhancement for companion animals, have been implemented. Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, the revised Animal Protection Act, which includes stricter punishments for animal abuse and enhanced safety management and welfare for pets, along with its enforcement decree and rules, came into effect on the 12th.

The revised law increased penalties for causing death to animals by cruel methods such as hanging from "up to 2 years imprisonment or a fine up to 20 million KRW" to "up to 3 years imprisonment or a fine up to 30 million KRW." Additionally, penalties for owners abandoning animals were strengthened from a fine of up to 3 million KRW to imprisonment or fines up to 3 million KRW.

However, whether abusers can actually be punished remains a blind spot. Even when violating the Animal Protection Act, cases resulting in imprisonment are extremely rare.

According to data from the National Police Agency, among 304 people prosecuted for violating the Animal Protection Act from 2010 to 2019, only 39 received prison sentences. Of these, 29 were given suspended sentences, and only 10 received actual imprisonment.

Experts suggest that while increasing punishment severity is important, it is also necessary to create detailed legal provisions that allow for proper punishment of abusers.

Lee Wonbok, head of the Korea Animal Protection Alliance, stated, "Placing a cat on a car hood while driving is clear animal abuse," and added, "The owner claims it is not abuse, but abuse includes not only causing physical death but also exposing animals to dangerous environments and causing mental suffering."

He continued, "Although the revised Animal Protection Act has been implemented, many abusers still evade punishment. Raising the punishment level is meaningful, but going forward, more detailed and thorough legal provisions and strict enforcement against abusers are necessary."

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