By Kim Tae-jong
The mistreatment of dogs is alleged to have taken place at a well-known animal rights group by putting down dozens of them and ignoring the required procedure.
According to Jongno Police Station in Seoul, the Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE), the nation’s largest animal rights group, allegedly put to sleep 20 dogs improperly at one of its animal shelters in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province last March.
Police officers said that they referred the animal abuse case to the prosecution.
In response, the group is strongly denying the allegations, claiming that the correct method was used when the dogs were euthanized.
According to the police account, during the mercy killing, CARE did not set up a blind or screen to prevent other animals from watching, which is a violation of the Animal Protection Law.
Among the 20 dogs were also two dogs that were temporarily entrusted to the center by their owners, police said.
Police asked the prosecution to indict Park So-yeon, president of CARE, and three post-graduate veterinary school students from Kunkuk University, who acted under the direction of Park.
CARE is the nation’s largest animal rights group with more than 30,000 members, receiving 600 million won in donations annually.
Since its foundation in 2002, CARE has rescued a number of abused animals and held various animal rights campaigns. It has grown to become the most influential animal protection organization of its kind, which allowed Park to be involved in the revision of the Animal Protection Law.
Police started investigation into the organization after being alerted by two former CARE members.
According to the police, they alleged that CARE put down even healthy animals upon the request of Kunkuk University to provide the school with carcasses for veterinary experiments or practice.
They argued that Park disregarded the principle of animal euthanasia, saying it should be administered only in restricted circumstances such as when a shelter is full of stray or sick animals.
Park strongly denies all the allegations, arguing it is wrong to simply criticize animal euthanasia as it is realistically impossible to take care of all the rescued animals for a lengthy period.
“The procedure was an inevitable choice as our shelters can’t house all the animals, and we put down dogs in very restrictive circumstances,” she said. “It had nothing to do with any request by the university.”
She said they took all necessary measures to prevent other animals from viewing what was happening. She also said they put down the two entrusted dogs by mistake.