Dog Owner: "I Released It Out of Love, Cannot Compensate"… Refuses Settlement Demand After Being Bitten by Large Dog Without Leash

A visited a dog park located in Nowon-gu, Seoul, and was seriously injured when a large dog roaming nearby with its leash off bit their leg, exposing the ankle bone.
[Photo by Blog Capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A woman in her 30s who visited a dog park operated by the district office was seriously injured after being bitten by a large dog roaming without a leash. The dog owner refused to pay a settlement, saying, "I love my dog so much that I deliberately let it loose."

According to Yonhap News on the 14th, A (39), who visited a dog park in Nowon-gu, Seoul on September 30, was bitten on the leg by a large dog that was roaming nearby without a leash.

A suffered injuries that exposed her ankle bone and damaged nerves. She underwent surgery and hospitalization for eight days and is currently receiving outpatient treatment. A’s dog was also injured.

According to A, the accident occurred while she was moving from the parking lot to the dog park. A explained, "A large dog that was left unleashed around the park suddenly attacked me and my dog."

The dog park is managed by the Nowon District Office and is known as a space where dog owners can bring their pets and use it off-leash (without a leash).

The offending dog owner, B, reportedly told A at the time of the accident, "I love my dog so much that I deliberately let it loose, but this accident happened. I have committed a grave sin, and I am truly sorry."

In response, A refuted on her blog, saying, "If you loved your dog so much that you wanted to let it loose, shouldn’t you have done so inside the large dog enclosure, not at the entrance of the park?"

Also, when A requested a settlement, B refused, citing financial difficulties. A said, "At first, the offending dog owner said he would cover medical expenses and damages, but when the settlement was brought up, his attitude changed drastically, telling me to handle it myself. He is insisting that he cannot compensate for the damages because he lives on basic living benefits and has five dogs."

The offending dog owner B said, "I have not been able to work since having a toe amputated due to diabetic complications three years ago, so I do not have the ability to compensate for the damages." He also claimed, "I fed the dogs and then the accident happened while I wasn’t watching. There have been no accidents before."

Meanwhile, on the 8th of last month, A filed a complaint with the police against B for negligence causing injury and violation of the Animal Protection Act. The police are currently investigating the case.

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