Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police Crack Down on 11 Illegal Activities Including Animal Abuse

Graphic of cases related to illegal acts involving animals such as animal abuse. Data provided by Gyeonggi Provincial Government

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province has cracked down on numerous operators who committed illegal acts related to animals, such as slaughtering dogs in cruel ways or breeding companion animals at unauthorized facilities and selling them at auction houses under the names of licensed businesses.

The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police for Public Welfare announced on the 26th that from February to December, they conducted inspections on 243 dog breeding facilities and companion animal-related businesses in the province and found 11 places violating the Animal Protection Act and other laws.

Among the major violations, a farm owner A in Hwaseong City was caught on charges of animal cruelty for operating a dog slaughtering facility and killing dogs by hanging their necks on steel pipe rods using ropes in a cruel manner.

B, who raises companion dogs in Hanam City, was found to have raised about 30 companion dogs in a poor environment inside a vinyl greenhouse from 2009 to July 2022. He neglected to provide proper treatment for seven companion dogs that suffered leg injuries from raised cages (floors made of wire mesh allowing waste to fall through), a material prone to causing foot injuries.

Farm C in Hanam City was caught in December 2019 for operating an animal production business without a license. However, it continued breeding about 130 dogs until July 2022 and sold the puppies born by borrowing the name of a licensed company at auction houses, leading to a crackdown.

Farm D in Siheung City, while operating a dog farm, failed to report waste disposal to the competent authorities and fed food waste to about 40 dogs from 2019 to June 2022, which led to its exposure.

According to the current Animal Protection Act, acts of cruelty causing death are punishable by up to three years imprisonment or fines up to 30 million KRW; animal cruelty causing disease or injury due to neglect of companion animal care and management duties is punishable by up to two years imprisonment or fines up to 20 million KRW; and unauthorized or unregistered business activities related to companion animals are subject to fines up to 5 million KRW. Additionally, the Waste Management Act stipulates that recycling leftover food as dog feed without reporting waste disposal is punishable by up to two years imprisonment or fines up to 20 million KRW.

Meanwhile, in April next year, the 'Comprehensive Amendment to the Animal Protection Act' will be enforced for the first time in 31 years since the Animal Protection Act was enacted. To strengthen management of indiscriminate businesses, the scope of licensing will expand from the existing animal production business to include sales, import, and funeral services. Also, licensed businesses will face penalties of up to two years imprisonment or fines up to 20 million KRW, enhancing the responsibility awareness of pet owners and the welfare of companion animals.

A representative of the province’s Special Judicial Police for Public Welfare said, "As we enter an era with 15 million people caring for companion animals, awareness of companion animal welfare is improving, but blind spots still exist. We plan to continue investigations in 2023 to eradicate illegal acts related to animals, including animal cruelty."

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