A defendant in their 60s, sent to trial on charges of leaving dogs in an apartment piled with filth and garbage, admitted the charges in court and pleaded for leniency.
On the 27th, Judge Park Dong-uk of the Chuncheon District Court Criminal Division 3 held the first hearing for A, 64, who was indicted on charges including violating the Animal Protection Act.
A is accused of leaving 18 dogs in unsanitary conditions at several apartments they owned from 2013 to July this year, causing the animals to develop illnesses. While fully acknowledging the charges, A's side asked the court to grant bail.
A's attorney said, "During the investigation, A did not acknowledge a mental illness, but now believes treatment is necessary," adding, "A will clear out all the homes and faithfully receive psychiatric treatment."
A added, "I want to live quietly, leading an ordinary daily life like most people," and also expressed an intention to relinquish ownership of all the other dogs except for one elderly dog that A's mother had raised while alive.
Chuncheon City Hall officials who observed the trial explained that if A agrees to bear the expense, the city could first allocate a budget to clear out the home and then bill A for the expense.
Chuncheon City, with A's consent in September 2023, rescued 17 dogs from a home filled with trash and feces, and in September last year additionally rescued 27 dogs and placed them under protection.