Man in South Korea fined $2k for throwing his dog from second floor

SEOUL – A South Korean man in his 30s was fined 2 million won (S$2,000) for throwing a Pomeranian out of the second floor of a building, a local court said on Dec 10.

The dog survived the fall, but sustained severe injuries to its spine and nervous system, including paralysis of its hind legs.

A witness to the crime said the man, who is not named, got out of his home to throw the dog. The man then headed back to his home. The witness took the Pomeranian to a nearby animal hospital to have it treated.

The Seoul Northern District Court recently handed the sentence to the man for violating the Animal Protection Act, which states that those inflicting pain on an animal without just cause shall be punished.

Those inflicting injuries to an animal can be punished by up to two years in jail or a fine of up to 20 million won. Killing an animal can be punished by up to three years in jail or a fine of up to 30 million won.

South Korea has seen a sharp increase in the number of animal abuse cases in the past decade.

There had been 98 violations of the Animal Protection Act in 2011, with cases increasing every year to 1,072 in 2021, according to the National Police Agency.

The government is currently pushing to ban those who had been found guilty of animal cruelty from having pets. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK