Cheonji, a stray dog who was shot and injured with an arrow, and after he made a full recovery (right) and now seen in the United States. - PHOTO: HONDIDORANG/THE KOREA HERALD
JEJU (The Korean Herld/ANN): A South Korean man who shot and injured a stray dog with an arrow has been sentenced to 10 months in prison, the Jeju District Court said on March 14.
The defendant was accused of shooting the dog with an arrow on Aug 25, 2022, in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, in an apparent act of revenge against the dog, which the man said killed his chickens in the past.
The incident made headlines after the male dog was found the next day wandering around an area 10km away, with an arrow lodged in his spine.
“The court finds the defendant guilty, considering the testimonies from the witnesses, photos taken during the surgery (of the dog), and evidence of the crime, including the arrow,” the court said in its verdict.
The defendant in his 40s claimed that he did not think the arrow would actually hit the dog.
An investigation found that the man had bought 20 arrows online in August 2021, and had crafted the bow himself with wood and fishing wire.
After being rescued, the dog was given the name Cheonji and has made a full recovery.
Cheonji was adopted by an American woman in her 30s, according to the Jeju Island-based animal protection group Hondidorang, and left for his new home in New York in November 2023. - The Korea Herald/Asian News Network
