Elderly woman dead after dog attack

By Kang Seung-woo

A resident of a senior care center in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, died, Wednesday, after being mauled by a dog owned by the center director, according to local police.

The owner is now facing criminal charges for negligent homicide and violation of the Animal Protection Law.

Anseong Police Station said the 62-year-old woman, who was taking a stroll around the center, was attacked by a Tosa dog on Wednesday morning, causing injuries to her chest and buttocks. She was taken to the hospital but died five hours later.

The victim had lived at the nursing center for years.

According to the police, the center director, who kept two Tosa dogs, left their cage open to clean it up and one escaped and attacked the woman.

At the time of the attack, its deputy director tried to grab the dog off her and also suffered multiple bite wounds, although they are not life-threatening.

“As the dog attack has resulted in a person's death, we plan to clarify where the responsibility lies,” a police officer said.

Tosa, a Japanese-originated breed, is massive in size and often shows aggression. So the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs categorized it recently as a "ferocious canine," requiring Tosa owners to receive mandatory education programs on how to properly raise such pets.

The owners of such a dog species can face up to two years in jail or 20 million won in fines if their unleashed and unmuzzled animal injures a person. The punishment could go up to three years in prison or 30 million won in fines if the victim dies.

According to the National Fire Agency, 6,883 people have been treated for dog bites over the past three years.