Alcoholic gets jail sentence reduced to fine in animal abuse case

A man, 58, received on Monday a reduced sentence for allegedly abusing a neighbor’s pet dog by inserting his finger in the dog’s private parts, in an appellate court.

The Seoul High Court has ordered man in his 50s to pay a fine of 2 million won ($1,860). He had initially been sentenced to treatment for alcoholism and four months in prison, but appealed the court’s verdict.

The man is accused of causing physical harm to the dog’s vagina after it reportedly scratched his nose with its front paw last year in May. 

During the first trial, the court viewed his acts as extremely cruel against an animal. The court ordered him to serve a four-month jail term and alcoholism treatment due to the possibility that the man might “committ another physical act of violence.”

But the appellate court reduced his sentence to a fine.

The man’s neighbor, who owned the dog, testified in court that the pet is currently recovering with medicinal ointment. 

By Catherine Chung (cec82@heraldcorp.com)