▲ Dogs discovered in a pile of garbage at an entryway
A man in his 60s, who left dozens of dogs neglected in an apartment covered in filth and garbage, has admitted to all charges and asked for leniency as his case reached court while he was in custody.
On August 27, Judge Park Dong-wook of the Chuncheon District Court held the first trial for 64-year-old A, who is charged with violating the Animal Protection Act.
A was sent to trial on charges of leaving 18 dogs in unsanitary conditions and causing them to develop diseases across multiple apartments he owned from 2013 until July of this year.
A's legal representative admitted to all the facts of the indictment and requested that bail be granted.
The defense attorney stated, "The defendant did not acknowledge his mental illness during the investigation, but has now changed his mind and believes he needs treatment," adding, "Please deliver the verdict after observing the process of him cleaning up all the houses and diligently receiving psychiatric treatment."
The defense emphasized the necessity of bail, noting that the defendant has no risk of destroying evidence or fleeing, and that his siblings have promised to actively help clean the houses.
Judge Park, who also reviewed the records of another case in which A was summarily indicted, reprimanded him by asking, "Didn't the police demand your appearance, yet you refused, ultimately leading to an arrest warrant being issued so they had to enter your home?"
When the judge asked, "If released, will you receive proper treatment and clean up your house?" A replied, "I will comply so that it can be carried out quickly."
A also stated, "I want to live quietly while leading an ordinary daily life like most people," expressing his intent to relinquish ownership of all the dogs except for one elderly dog that his mother had raised before she passed away.
Chuncheon city officials who attended the trial as spectators explained that if A agrees to bear the costs, the city could first use its budget to clean up the houses and then bill A later, thereby supporting the improvement of his living environment.
As A had neglected dozens of dogs in his apartments in the Chuncheon area for a long time, complaints and reports from neighbors continued to pour in.
Over the past three years, a total of 27 petition complaints or e-People reports related to A were received by the Chuncheon City Hall.
As phone complaints were not included in this tally, the actual number of reports is known to be even higher.
With A's consent in September 2023, the city rescued 17 dogs from a home filled with garbage and feces, followed by the rescue and protective measures of 27 more dogs in September of last year.
(Photo provided by Chuncheon Police Station, Yonhap News)
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