A man in his 60s who confined and killed hundreds of dogs: "I brought them in for 10,000 won each"

Revealed in Police Investigation

A man in his 60s accused of confining and starving hundreds of dogs to death reportedly stated during police questioning that he "brought them in at 10,000 won per dog."

According to Yonhap News on the 6th, the Yangpyeong Police Station in Gyeonggi Province has booked and is investigating a man in his 60s, identified as Mr. A, without detention on charges of violating the Animal Protection Act.

According to Mr. A's statements and other information, he had been bringing abandoned dogs and others to his residence in Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, for the past 2 to 3 years and starved them by not feeding them.

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Approximately 300 to 400 dogs in skeletal condition were reportedly found in his yard and inside rubber containers.

On the 4th, a nearby resident who had lost a dog while searching discovered the scene and reported it to the police.

Mr. A, who stated that he operates a scrap yard, told the police, "While collecting scrap from various places, I received requests from some people to take care of their dogs," adding, "I brought the dogs at 10,000 won each from these people."

The animal protection group that reported Mr. A stated on social media that "(Mr. A) mainly brought older small dogs that had lost their breeding ability from breeding farms and other places," but Mr. A claims to the police that "the claim that I brought dogs from breeders is not true."

A police official said, "Considering the scale of the carcasses found at Mr. A's residence, his statement that he brought dogs one by one from various places seems somewhat unreliable," adding, "We plan to investigate the exact scale of the carcasses and conduct a detailed inquiry into Mr. A's circumstances."

As the incident's impact grows, the government has also announced a strict response.

On the 6th, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs stated, "We will strengthen strict punishment for animal abuse crimes along with enhanced management of companion animal businesses."

The ministry explained, "'Intentionally withholding food or water leading to an animal's death' is punishable under the Animal Protection Act by up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won, and if an animal producer (breeder) instigates such acts, they can be punished as an instigator under the Criminal Act."

The ministry also announced that it will conduct crackdowns on business sites such as animal production and sales to eradicate such illegal and illicit practices.

Starting this month, joint and planned inspections will be carried out with local governments, focusing on the management of breeding females (individual management cards) in animal production businesses and the handling of animals that have lost breeding ability.

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