Man indicted for shooting stray dog with an arrow

A man is facing trial for animal cruelty after shooting a stray dog with a 70-centimeter-long arrow on Jeju Island last year, prosecutors said Tuesday.

The man was indicted without detention on charges of violating the Animal Protection Act and is accused of shooting the dog, which was walking on his property, using a handcrafted bow on August 25, 2022. The arrow penetrated through the dog's spine.

The dog survived the attack and received treatment after it was discovered by a neighbor on the side of a road in Angyeong-myeon, Jeju Island. It was found with an arrow sticking out of its body and appeared to be in a lot of pain.

The suspect admitted to shooting at the dog but claimed that he did not intend for the arrow to hit the dog.

The man's anger towards stray dogs, which led up to the incident, reportedly started when stray dogs killed over 120 of his chickens in the past.

He is also reported to have bought an arrow and handcrafted a bow from wood and a fishing line when he heard that stray dogs have resurfaced in the village.

The dog, thought to be an Alaskan Malamute mix, did not have a microchip, which would normally contain the contact information of the owner. Since the implementation of the Animal Registration System in 2014, all pet owners are required to register and microchip pets older than two months.

Police carried out an investigation into the shooting for about seven months using various tactics, including analyzing hundreds of hours of surveillance camera footage, putting up posters and billboards searching for witnesses and tips, and distributing over 3000 handouts. A total of 480 personnel were deployed in the investigation.

"The government aims to continue to prosecute those who offend against animals (and) ensure punishment befitting the crime is met," an official from the Jeju District Prosecutors' Office said.