On New Year's Day, in Jeju Island, there was an event to celebrate the new year and to wish for happiness by flying balloons. However, this event was criticized a lot by people since those balloons can be harmful to birds and fish recognizing them as their prey. This kind of animal abuse can be seen easily in the news. People would wonder why animal abuse is increasing as they already knew that there are laws against animal cruelty.

▲ Circus is an example of animal abuse that can be seen easily.

Animal abuse means anyways on attacking animals such as killing and caging them. People who abuse animals attack animals for their own interest, and satisfaction or for money.

In South Korea, the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency investigated the actual condition of the abandonment of pets. According to the source, the registration of pets like dogs is increasing every year, yet the number of abandoned or lost pets is also increasing every year. The latest investigation was about one hundred twenty thousand of animals being abused in 2018, which was about eighteen percent higher than last year.

▲ Many people still abandon their pets illegally.

What are the reasons why people harm animals? One of the reasons is impulse adoption. Lots of people prefer cute pets. Moreover, sites which show animals' cuteness on the Internet are rising these days. Then, people are blinded by their appearance and decide to adopt them. According to a research of The Seoul Institute, twenty-four percent of people who adopt pets make an adoption without knowledge of nurturing their pets. When they are bored with their pets, they harm or abandon them illegally. Another reason is the lack of awareness about animal rights. Still, most people attack or abuse animals for satisfaction. In addition, some people manipulate and violate their pets for money. This situation can affect young children and may circulate constantly.

▲ For example, zoo is a special place people can see animals, but it can be a big cage for animals.

The present punishment of animal abuse is relatively weaker than other crimes. This weak law cannot help in solving the animal abuse problem. Enforcement of animal protection laws will be more helpful. Also, knowledge about the rights of animals is needed to prevent different forms of abuse. Early and right education about the relationship between people and animals can be a solution. Many people hope to live in a world where animals and people live in harmony.

January 11th, 2020

By Kang Jine Ie