Is Tying a Dog to Ice and Swinging It Like a Yo-Yo... Discipline?

Dog Abused by Owner Caught in Seoul
Puppy Abandoned on Frozen River Discovered in Ansan, Gyeonggi
Owner Says "Dog Like My Child... Got Angry, What Kind of Abuse Is This?"

Incidents of dog owners resorting to physical threats for the purpose of dog training are recurring. Photo by Animal Rights Group CARE Facebook capture (left), Instagram 'DorosiJikyeojulgae' screen capture (right)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Incidents threatening the lives of animals under the pretext of discipline, such as assaulting dogs for not obeying or leaving them in harsh cold conditions, are occurring repeatedly. Experts pointed out that legal systems related to animal protection should be strengthened to quickly spread awareness of respecting animal life.

On the 9th, in an alley near Yeonsinnae in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, an elderly man in his 80s, Mr. A, was seen spinning a Maltese dog tied with a leash in the air like a yo-yo and assaulting it with his hands. The animal rights organization CARE shared a video capturing this situation on Facebook that day, calling for the identification of the abuser.

CARE stated, "This is a clear act of animal abuse," and added, "Although the abuser's identity is still unknown, we will report this abuser for violating the Animal Protection Act so that an investigation can begin."

A Maltese dog rescued by the animal rights organization CARE after being abused by its owner in an alley near Yeonsinnae, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul. Photo by CARE Facebook.

The next day (the 10th), CARE activists found dog owner Mr. A and his dog at the same location during a walk. Mr. A reportedly defended himself to the activists, saying, "I'm just disciplining him; is this abuse?" and "I also love my dog."

CARE posted on Facebook the same day, explaining, "The abuser showed no awareness of the problem with his actions and did not admit to the assault, let alone show remorse. He even shouted emotionally, saying he would die without the dog." They added, "He repeatedly said things like, 'The dog is like my child,' 'I was angry, that's why I did it,' 'I hated him, that's why,' 'I never hit him, how is that abuse?' and 'Then, should people who eat dogs be sentenced to death?'"

CARE further stated that after persistently persuading Mr. A, they obtained a letter of relinquishment of dog ownership and submitted a complaint to the police for violation of the Animal Protection Act.

On the 1st, a Jindo mixed breed dog that was found abandoned in a river in Danwon-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi Province was rescued by the animal protection group "Dorosi Jikyeojulgae." Photo by Dorosi Jikyeojulgae Instagram capture.

On New Year's Day, the 1st, near Tando Lake in Danwon-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, a 2-month-old Jindo mixed-breed puppy was found abandoned tied to a rock in the middle of an icy field for not obeying. The man in his 50s, Mr. B, who was booked without detention on charges of violating the Animal Protection Act, stated during police investigation that he only tied the puppy to discipline it for causing trouble and did not intend to abandon it.

The animal protection group Dorothy Will Protect Dogs, which rescued the puppy at the time, pointed out that not only was it problematic to tie the puppy to a rock on the frozen river in harsh cold, but also that if the ice melted and the rock fell, the puppy could have drowned, creating a dangerous situation.

As incidents of dog owners assaulting or neglecting their dogs in poor conditions for not obeying repeat, public outrage is growing. Mr. Kim, a 30-year-old office worker living with one companion dog, said, "Every time I see news about animal abuse, it breaks my heart. Animals cannot speak, but they feel emotions and pain just like humans." He added, "Many people justify violence by saying they are trying to break the dog's stubbornness because it doesn't obey, but that is truly a wrong way of thinking."

He continued, "Dogs are not objects but living beings. Now that we call them companion dogs instead of pets, I hope people respect their lives."

Experts pointed out that strong legal punishments for animal abuse must be supported to accelerate the spread of awareness about respecting animal life.

Jo Hee-kyung, head of Animal Freedom Coalition, said, "Just as child abuse problems continue even though child punishment is now prohibited, the same applies to animal abuse," and added, "To improve awareness of respecting animal life, there must be a clear distinction between permissible and impermissible acts, and related legal systems must be improved accordingly."

Jo also advised, "Although current laws have standards to punish acts that cause pain to animals' bodies, there are opinions that their application is ambiguous. We must strive to establish more specific related details."

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