Dead, starving and sick animals have been discovered in shocking conditions at a local government shelter in Daegu.

The abuse and neglect came to light on September 29, when KBS TV aired a program showing the horrible conditions. Viewers were understandably shocked and outraged.

The person ultimately responsible for this shelter is the Chief Executive of the government's Korea Animal Rescue Association! He was in charge of the shelter from 2009 until the September 22, 2011.

When the KBS camera crew entered the shelter, it was confronted with an overpowering stench that made it hard to breath.

They found cages covered with mold and filth and full of excrement. A dead dog lay where it had died inside a cage. There was no water or food, and the floor was swarming with maggots. Animals were just skin and bone.

After discovering a cat whose face was covered with pus, the crew rushed her to a veterinarian, but sadly she was too far gone. She had to be euthanized.

A freezer, which was supposed to be used to store dead animals, was turned off to save on electricity. Inside were rotting carcasses attracting worms and maggots.

From all appearances, it looks like the director of the shelter has been starving animals to death.

KARA is seeking prosecution of this despicable individual and other city officials responsible for crimes of animal abuse and neglect. While KARA prepares for legal action, the police have begun an investigation.

An agora petition was started on October 1, asking the former director of the shelter to be punished for serious animal abuses. In ten days, the petition already had over 7,561 signatures.

The agora link is here:

http://agora.media.daum.net/petition/view.html?id=112876

Rest assured we will be pursuing these criminals to get the maximum penalty possible. Frankly, the people responsible, especially the shelter's director, deserve a long stretch in prison.

Yet again, this incident shows that the Korean government simply cannot be trusted to properly manage the country's animal protection needs. These kinds of scandals are a reminder that despite Korea being one of the world's top economies, many of it's government authorities have long neglected their duties of care towards animals. There is no excuse.

Update: Feb 20, 2012

KARA received a letter informing us of the result of our attempt to prosecute Daegu Government Shelter over the horrible conditions animals had to suffer there.

In the end, the court fined the government shelter only 700,000 won! That's about $623 US for abuse and neglect resulting in the suffering and deaths of dogs and cats. This fine for the criminal neglect of a government agency is a farce.

KARA sent a letter to the Daegu City Council, the Mayor of Daugu City, and the Provincial Council insisting that this kind of situation should never happen again in the future to strengthen the welfare of animals in Daegu city.