Police rescued 18 mistreated dogs and cats from the home of a mentally ill animal owner who is said to have abused and killed numerous animals over a long period.

On Tuesday, police and Cheongju Livestock Division officials were dispatched to a home in Sangdang-gu, Cheongju, in response to an animal abuse complaint. A Maltese dog and a cat were found dead in a nearby gutter during the site inspection. A total of 16 dogs and two cats were found alive in the house in improper living conditions.


 

Neighbors have reported witnessing the owner killing and beating numerous dogs and cats, but the owner denies the claims.

Despite the state in which the animals were found, the Korea Abandoned Animal Welfare Association’s Chungcheong branch is unsure of the chances of a successful prosecution considering the suspect’s mental illness.

According to KAAWA, “Most of the rescued dogs are pedigree dogs and some have even had vocal cord surgery,” suggesting that the animals probably had owners in the past. The organization said it had discovered who had sold the animals to the alleged hoarder and that it would request a police investigation into the source of the dogs.

All the rescued animals are now at the Cheongju Animal Protection Center for health checks. As of Thursday, the animals were getting groomed in preparation for adoption at the KAAWA’s Chungcheong branch adoption center.

By Lee Tae-hee (taeheelee@heraldcorp.com)