Dogs abandoned twice by the same owner

This photo of a poodle is from an adoption notice that was posted at Paw In Hand, a local mobile platform for adopting abandoned animals. It says the animal has returned home. (Paw In Hand)

A local animal rights group and the city of Cheonan said Monday they are planning to file charges of animal abuse and abandonment against the owner of a poodle and a Maltese poodle who is suspected of abandoning the dogs twice last week.

According to the city government, the owner left the dogs in front of a convenience store in Seobuk-gu, Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, on Jan. 10. A resident of the area took the dogs to the city's animal protection center, which acquired the information of the owner through a microchip implanted inside the poodle and returned them to the owner Friday afternoon.

Just hours after the dogs made it back home, however, they were abandoned again, this time at a university in the adjacent city of Asan. Officials suspect that the owner carved out the microchip from inside the poodle, based on the fresh scar found on her body.

The animal rights group, Dong I, which is currently looking after the two dogs, said it will conduct a test on the poodle to confirm their suspicions. "Based on the (test) results, we will file charges against the owner," it said.

South Korea's Animal Protection Act prohibits owners from abusing or abandoning their pets, and stipulates a criminal punishment of a fine of up to 3 million won ($2,300) for abandonment, and a prison sentence of up to 2 years or a fine of up to 20 million won for abuse.

The incident was first revealed when a user of Paw In Hand, a mobile platform for adopting abandoned animals, posted on Saturday that he found the poodle that was supposed to have been returned home. The platform had initially posted a notice for the dog's adoption on Wednesday, but took it down after authorities tracked down the owner and returned the pets to the owner.

By Yoon Min-sik(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)