Home > National > Social Affairs

Man accused of animal neglect referred to prosecutors

Published: 24 Dec. 2025, 16:30

A dog and cats rescued from the home of a man indicted for violating the Animal Protection Act are pictured in this photo. [NATIONAL UNION FOR THE PROTECTION OF CATS]

A man accused of adopting dogs and cats through an online marketplace and neglecting them until they died has been referred to prosecutors on charges of violating the Animal Protection Act, police said Wednesday.

The Wanju Police Precinct said the man adopted more than a dozen dogs and cats through the online secondhand platform Karrot and failed to care for them adequately, leading to their deaths. Police sent him to prosecutors without detention.

Live animals cannot be sold on online marketplaces under Korean law. Karrot bans the listing or sale of live animals on its platform.

The case came to light after the National Union for the Protection of Cats, a social cooperative, reported receiving tips that someone was attempting to adopt animals "indiscriminately." Police officers and Wanju County representatives accompanied the group to the man’s residence.

Authorities found several dogs and cats in severely weakened conditions at the home, along with animal carcasses placed in standard trash bags, police said. They rescued six animals — dogs and cats — and sent them to a veterinary hospital for treatment.

Investigators said the suspect responded to animal adoption posts from across the country on Karrot, repeatedly offering to take in the animals.

Autopsies and other examinations showed the man did not directly kill the animals, police said, but he neglected to manage and care for them adequately, leading to their deaths.

The suspect has denied the allegations, telling investigators, “I adopted the animals because I genuinely wanted to raise them, and I took good care of them,” according to police.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]