(123rf)
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A man was sentenced by a Korean court to six months in prison, suspended for two years, court officials said Wednesday, for abandoning his 21 dogs at his old home and moving out.

The Seoul Northern District Court found the defendant guilty of violating the Animal Protection Act in its April 2 ruling, also imposing a fine of 1 million won ($672) and ordering the man to perform 80 hours of community service.

The defendant, 44, had moved out of his old residence on Feb. 24 of last year, leaving his dogs without any means of survival. He told investigators that he committed the crime due to the burden of caring for the dogs, such as paying for dog food and cleaning up after them.

He originally acquired two dogs in 2020, and they eventually grew into a pack of 21.

The dogs were locked inside the home for five days until police officers rescued them on Feb. 29, 2024. Because the defendant did not leave them with food, three of them died and the rest had to survive by eating the dead dogs' carcasses.

"(The defendant's) crime is malicious in nature in that he neglected his pet dogs, so three would die and the rest would be abandoned. Yet he did not show any sign of remorse in the investigation," the court said, adding it took into account the fact that he has admitted his crimes and now appears to feel regret.


minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com