A man in his 20s in South Korea has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for the brutal killing of 11 pets, after claiming he was “relieving stress” through the acts. The Gyeongju District Court overturned an earlier suspended sentence and ordered the man, identified only as A, to begin serving his term immediately.
According to South Korean media reports, A adopted five dogs and six cats between October 2023 and early 2024, posting on social media about wanting to “find friends” for his dogs or adopt cats after claiming previous pets had died. On the surface, he appeared to be a loving animal enthusiast.
However, investigations revealed that over four months, all 11 pets were killed—thrown to the ground or strangled by hand. The first trial in June last year had handed A a 1.5-year prison sentence, suspended for three years, with the judge citing that he was a first-time offender and had shown remorse.
Animal welfare groups strongly condemned the original lenient sentence, calling it “the most egregious animal abuse judgment in history,” and submitted over 300 petitions demanding harsher punishment.
In explaining the revised sentence, the second trial judge stated: “The defendant killed 11 pets in a short period using extremely cruel methods, showing no respect for life. The original sentence was too lenient, so the suspension has been revoked.”
A was convicted under South Korea’s Animal Protection Act and is now serving his 18-month prison term.
