The Korea Herald

소아쌤

Dog shot with arrow makes full recovery, finds new home in NY

By Yoon Min-sik

Published : Nov. 29, 2023 - 17:32

    • Link copied

Photos provided by Hondidorang show Cheonji. (Hondidorang) Photos provided by Hondidorang show Cheonji. (Hondidorang)

A dog shot and severely injured by an arrow has made full recovery and will head for his new home in New York at 8:35 p.m. tonight, a Jeju Island-based animal protection group said Wednesday.

According to Hondidorang, the dog, who received the name Cheonji, has been adopted by an American woman in her 30s, who took in another stray dog in the past. The decision was made Nov. 22 after a monthlong deliberation, the group said.

Cheonji, formerly a stray, made headlines in August 2022 when he was found wandering around Jeju City with a 70-centimeter-long arrow stuck in his spine. A man in his 40s allegedly shot the dog with a handcrafted bow. The man apparently was angered by stray dogs for damages they caused to his chickens.

Police caught the suspect in March after a monthslong manhunt. The suspect was indicted without detention for animal cruelty in July.

Cheonji, thought to be about eight years old, received surgery for his injuries and has also been treated for trauma at an animal training center in Gyeonggi Province. The dog had been severely malnourished and showed a fear of humans when he was rescued on Aug. 26.

After his adoption was decided, Cheonji was taken back to Jeju Island on Nov. 23 for dental treatment.