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| Police officers examine the ground to retrieve animal bones from a dog farm in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. Screen captured from Gyeonggi Governor Kim Dong-yeon's Facebook page |
By Kim Se-jeong
Gyeonggi police launched an investigation into a dog farm in Gwangju last weekend after finding eight dead dogs and the bones of 21 unidentified animals. Police suspected the farm owner had abandoned the animals in violation of the animal protection law.
The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency is currently examining the remains to identify the cause of their deaths. The unidentified bones are believed to be of dogs, goats and cats, according to the police. The police also found 51 dogs alive, all caged, at the farm.
"We will conduct health checkups on the live animals," a police officer was quoted as saying by a local Korean newspaper. "Most dead dogs were found in cages, leading us to suspect that the owner left them to die."
Under animal protection law, those failing to provide care and necessary medical treatment to animals can face imprisonment of up to three years or fines of up to 30 million won.
The investigation is part of a widening probe into animal protection violation cases in the province, following a shocking discovery of 1,200 dead dogs at a farm in Yangpyeong in early March. The police discovered the farm following a report by a neighbor who was searching for his dog and the farm owner was arrested.
That case led Gyeonggi Governor Kim Dong-yeon to order police investigations into animal protection violations.
"I appreciate the police's swift investigation. I also thank Gyeonggi residents for their cooperation. If you see animal abuse, don't hesitate to call the police," Kim wrote on his Facebook page.
"Dogs are often bred for money," said Kim. "If not sold, however, they are either slaughtered or left to die without proper care or treatment." He went on to say that while police crackdowns are important, creating a culture that stops the trade of companion animals is more important.
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