Man given 3 year sentence for starving over 1,000 cats, dogs to death

A court sentenced a man in his 60s to three years in prison for starving more than 1,000 abandoned cats and dogs to death. The Suwon District Court's branch in Yeoju, Gyeonggi, sentenced the man with the maximum penalty imposed against animal...

Animal rights activists hold a rally at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on March 23, calling for appropriate punishment for the person responsible for the deaths of more than 1,000 cats and dogs. [YONHAP]

A court sentenced a man in his 60s to three years in prison for starving more than 1,000 abandoned cats and dogs to death.

The Suwon District Court's branch in Yeoju, Gyeonggi, sentenced the man with the maximum penalty imposed against animal cruelty under the Animal Protection Act.

The 66-year-old man was indicted on charges of having starved more than 1,000 cats and dogs to death since February 2020. He took over the animals, abandoned by pet breeding farms for having low commercial value, in exchange for 10,000 won ($7.50) per pet.

A total of 1,256 dead cats and dogs were found on his property in the nearby Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi.

BY SOHN DONG-JOO, YONHAP [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]