The cost of feeding them was so high that they starved to death… “1,200 dogs starved to death,” the worst animal abuse in South Korea’s history, a scene so horrific that it is almost unbearable.

The most horrific animal abuse in South Korea’s history has been uncovered.

According to the Chosun Ilbo, JoongAng Ilbo, and other media, the scene of the abuse was a house in Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, near Seoul, where a man in his 60s, A, was found with over 1,200 dead dogs. Most of them are believed to have died of starvation.

According to a report in Newsweek, a neighbor who was looking for his missing pet accidentally found the dog carcasses in a dumpster at A’s house. The residents immediately reported the incident to an animal welfare group. The abuse came to light.

When the staff of the animal welfare organization “Care” visited A’s house, they found a scene beyond description. Dog skins rotting and stuck to the steel cage, meat that had assimilated with the floor, and carcasses piled up everywhere. …… There was a strong stench in the air that made me want to cover my nose.

They devoured their dead companions.

Care” published photos of the horrific scene on social networking sites and commented as follows

This is the worst animal abuse in history. I went to the scene where countless dogs were starved to death. Carcasses are rotting everywhere, and new dogs put inside are starving to death. It seems that without food, these dogs starved themselves by devouring their dead companions.

After receiving a complaint from CARE, local police arrested A by March 8 on suspicion of violating the Animal Protection Law. The motive for his crime was unbelievable.

A had been taking in old dogs that had lost their ability to reproduce for about 1,000 yen each since around June 2008. He said, “The cost of feeding them was too high, so I let them starve to death.

Initially, the police found about 400 carcasses that were reportedly found in a white skeletonized state. However, as the investigation proceeded, the number increased rapidly. The number of corpses eventually exceeded 1,200.

The police are not sure of the exact number because there are so many corpses. In response to this incident, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, and Food of South Korea intends to ensure compliance with the law and penalties for those who sell or shelter animals. The animal welfare organization “Care” is said to have taken custody of the few animals that survived and sent them to a hospital for treatment.

Animal welfare groups not only in Korea but also overseas are calling for an investigation into the truth.