A cat [123RF]
A cat [123RF]

A Changwon court sentenced a man in his 30s to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, after he neglected his pets and let more than 10 cats die, Judge Jeong Ji-eun of Changwon District Court's Criminal Division 2 announced Wednesday. The court also ordered 80 hours of community service.

According to Yonhap, the man, identified only as A, was indicted on charges of violating the Animal Protection Act. From November last year through January, he kept multiple cats and dogs at his apartment in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, without providing adequate food or water, leaving the animals for an extended period in unsanitary conditions covered in filth and causing 10 cats to die.

The court said the defendant's culpability was high, noting he had neglected all 20 of his pets without feeding them and caused roughly half to die. It added, however, that it considered his admission of guilt, his remorseful attitude and his lack of any prior convictions for similar offenses.


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