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| Dogs inside the cage of a slaughterhouse. / Yonhap |
By Jung Hae-myoung, Jung Min-ho
The Supreme Court has struck down a lower court decision to allow dog electrocution, saying the method is "too cruel."
The top court sent the case back to the Seoul High Court, Friday, ordering judges to rethink whether using electric shocks to kill dogs violates the animal protection law, which bans cruel methods of slaughter.
Previously, the high court upheld a lower court's ruling that a dog farm owner, surnamed Lee, 66, who was indicted on charges of killing more than 100 dogs with electric shocks between 2011 and 2016, was not guilty of violating the animal protection law.
Lee admitted he slaughtered the dogs but argued that electrocution is a common method of killing livestock such as pigs and chickens. He said it was the most effective way available.
But the Supreme Court rejected his claims, saying the degree of pain the method may cause to animals could differ depending on their species and other factors.
"Judges at lower courts should have considered various factors, including how long it took to kill dogs, how strong the electric shocks were and how their rulings would affect social perception in terms of how dogs should be treated," the court said.
Article 8 of the Animal Protection Law bans cruel methods of killing, but it does not mention specific methods other than hanging.
Courts allowed dog electrocution because it was a common method of killing livestock, though dogs are not legally categorized as livestock in Korea.
Many animal rights groups, including the Korean Animal Welfare Association and Korea Animal Rights Advocates, welcomed the top court's decision, calling it a "victory for animal rights" and saying it is an important step toward banning the consumption of dog meat.
