Suspended Sentence in First Trial for 20s Who Killed 11 Pets... Animal Groups Call It "Worst Sentence"

Bringing Animals for Adoption or Temporary Care and Killing Them
Animal Groups and Prosecutors Appeal... "Repeated Offenses Evident"

A man in his 20s who was arrested and prosecuted for killing 11 dogs and cats after going through adoption and temporary protection procedures received a suspended sentence. An animal rights organization condemned it as the "worst sentence."

A man in his 20s, An Mo, who was arrested and prosecuted on charges of killing 11 dogs and cats brought in through adoption and temporary protection procedures, is seen holding a cat and a dog respectively.
[Image source=Animal Rights Action Kara]

On the 25th, Animal Rights Action Kara strongly condemned the Goyang Branch of Uijeongbu District Court's Criminal Division 1 (Judge Sangyeop Lee) for sentencing the man in his 20s, Mr. An, who was indicted on charges of violating the Animal Protection Act, to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 3-year probation period. Yoon Seongmo, an activist from Kara, said, "Animal abuse cases mainly rely on criminal complaints by third parties because the victimized animals cannot file complaints themselves. Appeals also require the prosecutor's decision. We have submitted a request for appeal to the prosecution and urge the prosecutor to make a prompt decision on the appeal."

The Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office Goyang Branch, which handled the case, also stated, "The defendant's method of crime was cruel, and he lied while adopting animals, causing significant mental distress to the original owners. Considering that he attempted to adopt additional cats even after the last crime, there is continuity and repetition in the offenses, so a harsher sentence than the first trial is necessary." They appealed the first trial verdict. Before the first trial sentencing, the prosecution requested the maximum sentence under the Animal Protection Act, which is 3 years in prison, for Mr. An.

Earlier, Mr. An was accused of adopting or temporarily taking in 5 dogs and 6 cats from October last year for about four months and killing them by hitting them on the floor or strangling them. It is estimated that more animals died at Mr. An's hands when including charges for which evidence was not secured.

Mr. An mainly posted on internet platforms saying things like "I want to make friends for my dog" or "My cat died of illness, so I want to adopt a new cat," continuously bringing in companion animals. During the adoption process, he changed his phone number and adopted new animals one after another. He reportedly told the original owners who inquired about the animals that he had lost them. It was confirmed that he even took in additional cats while under police investigation. He reportedly stated that there was no special reason for his crimes.

The first trial court sentenced Mr. An to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 3-year probation period and ordered probation and 480 hours of community service. The court stated, "The defendant caused the death of animals several times in cruel ways to relieve stress. He also caused mental trauma to the people who had adopted out the animals." However, the court also considered "his remorse for the crimes and the fact that he has no prior criminal record."

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