Is Leaving a Dog in a Truck Bed Animal Abuse?

"Left for Hours in Winter," "Video Temperature, Not Abuse" Opinions Divided

Photo by Pixabay

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] In Gwangju, opinions are divided over whether leaving two dogs unattended for several hours in a cage in the cargo bed of a parked vehicle constitutes abuse.

The police judged that the case does not amount to animal abuse, leading to conflicts with the reporter.

On the afternoon of the 5th, around 6 p.m., a report was received at the 112 emergency call center about hearing dogs barking along a roadside in Bangnim-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju.

When the police arrived at the scene, they found two dogs trapped in a metal cage in the cargo bed of a 1-ton truck.

The police contacted the vehicle owner, advised them to take appropriate measures, and then left. The police determined that it was not abuse.

At the time, the owner reportedly explained, "I just left them temporarily because I was going to take them to a blueberry farm early the next morning."

Can this situation be considered animal abuse?

According to the Enforcement Rules of the Animal Protection Act, "acts that cause physical pain or injury by leaving animals in harsh environments such as severe cold" are defined as abuse.

At that time, the temperature in the Gwangju area was 4 degrees Celsius (the day's highest temperature was 4.7 degrees Celsius and the lowest was -0.9 degrees Celsius), and although the dogs were trapped in the metal cage in the truck's cargo bed, a tarp was set up to shield them from the wind.

The police judged that it was not abuse due to the temperature and the presence of the tarp.

A representative from a local animal protection organization in Gwangju who reported the case insisted it was abuse.

They argued that leaving the dogs unattended in a vehicle truck for several hours during winter itself constitutes abuse. The representative is reportedly planning to file charges against the police for dereliction of duty due to inadequate initial response and against the owner for animal abuse.

Other animal organizations have interpreted such cases as "not constituting abuse."

The policy team leader of one such organization said, "Just as dogs raised outdoors are not all considered victims of abuse, the weather at the time does not appear to have been cold enough to cause extreme suffering."

They added, "A truck is not a breeding facility but merely a temporary place. Even if water was not provided, if it did not lead to death, it is not considered abuse under current law."

They continued, "How the initial investigation is conducted in animal abuse cases is very important in proving the crime," and added, "Reporters should pay attention to collecting objective evidence such as photos, videos, witnesses, and veterinary opinions."

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