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Stray dog found with head injuries; rescuers vow to 'identify' attacker

Published: 05 Aug. 2025, 15:03

A stray dog that suffered from heavy injuries believed to have been caused by repeated blows from a blunt object was rescued in Naju, South Jeolla, on July 31. [COEXISTENCE OF ANIMAL RIGHTS ON EARTH]

A stray dog with head injuries that appeared to have been caused by repeated blows was rescued in Naju, South Jeolla, leading an animal rights group to launch an investigation and emergency fund-raising campaign.

A resident found the adult dog on Thursday in a village in Naju, animal rights group Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE) said Tuesday. The dog appeared to have been struck multiple times in the head with a blunt object.

A Naju shelter transferred the animal to a veterinary clinic for treatment. It is now in foster care while receiving continued medical attention.

“We want to identify the person who attempted to kill this dog and raise funds to help cover the cost of treatment,” CARE said in a public notice.

“Blunt force attacks like this often occur around the boknal season and are usually related to attempts to slaughter dogs for meat,” the group said.

Boknal refers to the three hottest days of summer in the Korean lunar calendar. Roughly translated to the first, middle and end “dog days,” some Koreans ate bosintang (dog meat soup) on those days as it was believed to help combat the heat.

Legislation banning the dog meat trade in the country was passed in 2024 and will be enforced starting in February 2027.

CARE said it will conduct an on-site investigation and file a report with the police.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]