Pet day care boom met with rising abuse reports

As pet day care centers grow in popularity across South Korea, where nearly 1 in 3 households owns a pet, disputes centered on alleged animal abuse at such facilities are also on the upswing, raising questions of oversight and accountability.

In one recent case, a pet owner surnamed Kim has claimed that her 4-year-old Chihuahua was abused by the owner of a pet day care facility in Gwanak-gu, Seoul. In video footage she shared, the dog is seen walking down a ramp set between two rubber blocks with its eyes fixed on a treat held above its head by the center's operator. When it knocks over one of the blocks, the center's owner strikes the dog twice on its hindquarters.

"She sent me the video by mistake late last year and didn't even realize it. I only saw it later and was shocked to see my dog being hit. I held back at first, thinking it might have been discipline, but the more I watched the footage, the more it felt like abuse," Kim said.

After raising the issue, the care center operator apologized, saying she had no intention of hitting the dog and acted on impulse after it bit her finger. Believing there may be additional victims, however, Kim reported the case to police for animal abuse.

In other cases, staff at facilities in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, and Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, were reported for actions including kicking a dog, spraying it with cleaning chemicals and using electric shock devices to control barking.

While such incidents have fueled concern among pet owners, experts say criminal punishment remains relatively rare.

Under Korea’s Animal Protection Act, those who kill an animal without just cause face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won ($20,200), while acts that cause injury, pain or stress to an animal carry penalties of up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won.

“There is no clear standard for what constitutes abuse serious enough to lead to criminal punishment, and proving intent can be difficult,” a police official said. “As a result, many pet owners turn to civil suits for compensation.”

Animal rights advocates argue that the growing number of facilities — in a country with more than 15 million pet-owning households — has outpaced regulation.

“Under the current registration system, facilities can begin operating with little more than basic paperwork, creating an environment where individuals with limited knowledge of animal care can operate with minimal oversight,” said an official from the group Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth.

"There is an urgent need to adopt a licensing system that screens operators' qualifications beforehand and provides effective oversight, including swift administrative actions such as immediate license revocation in cases of abuse."