Farmer invites neighbours to eat their own dead dog

A SOUTH KOREAN farmer killed and cooked a neighbour’s barking dog before inviting its unsuspecting owner to join him for a dog-meat dinner.

The 62-year-old unnamed man confessed to the crime and claimed he was so irritated by the dog’s constant barking that he threw a stone at the twoyear-old Welsh corgi, resulting in the animal losing consciousness.

“Only after the dog passed out, he claims, he strangled the animal and cooked it,” a detective in the southern city of Pyeongtaek said.

“The man then invited his neighbours to share the meal, including the father of the dog-owning family.”

Dog meat has long been a part of South Korean cuisine. But consumption has declined as the population embraces the idea of dogs as pets instead of livestock. Eating them is now seen as taboo among younger generations.

The case gained publicity when the family’s daughter published an online plea calling for support to punish the offender.

“We had been all around the town, handing out leaflets containing the dog’s picture and rewards of 1million won [£660],” the daughter said.

“When I reached the man’s house, which is just three doors down from ours, he expressed sympathy, promising to let us know if he found the dog”.

At that time, however, the farmer was hiding the dog in his barn, she said.

“He even invited neighbours to come share the dog meat, including my father who did not accept the invitation as he is a non-dog-meat eater”, she said.

Activists have stepped up campaigns to ban dog consumption. Under a newly strengthened law, animal abusers face up to two years in prison or 20 million won (£13,200) in fines.