Lawsuit for Defamation Against Animal Rights Group Over False Claims of Dog Slaughter
The Ijang Council of Geumcheon-myeon in Naju has filed a defamation lawsuit against an animal rights group that posted false information on social media about an alleged dog slaughter attempt during the Dog Days of Summer.
According to the council on the 25th, the problematic A animal rights group severely damaged the village's reputation by posting on social media that animal abuse had occurred, even though no actual dog slaughter incident took place in the community.
The incident began on the 31st of last month when a 25kg male dog was rescued with serious injuries to its head on a road in Naju.
The A animal rights group deemed this incident a case of cruelty related to the consumption of dog meat on the Dog Days of Summer and posted on social media, "An unbelievable and cruel incident occurred in a village in Naju. A dog that was repeatedly struck on the head with a hammer escaped."
Police Investigation Reveals Dog Bite Incident Due to Dog Fighting
At that time, the A animal rights group claimed in the post, "Blunt force attacks occurring around the Dog Days are mostly related to attempts to slaughter dogs for meat," stating it was "strong evidence that someone in the rural village was secretly trying to catch a dog."
Netizens who saw the post from the A animal rights group commented, "How much pain must it have been in? It's amazing it thought to run away," "I hope the perpetrator gets severely punished," and "How much longer can we live by eating dogs?" thus pouring derogatory remarks toward the village residents.
However, following an investigation, including a review of surrounding surveillance cameras (CCTV), police confirmed that the incident was not an attempt at slaughter but rather a bite incident resulting from a dog fight that occurred during the early morning hours.
The A animal rights group later posted a follow-up stating it was a bite incident but did not correct the original post containing false information.
Lee Kwang-hee, the chairman of the Ijang Council of Geumcheon-myeon, explained the reasons for the lawsuit, stating, "The villagers of Naju did not slaughter any dogs, but assumptions were made and posted without knowing the exact circumstances, which defamed the village's reputation."
The village residents are currently demanding an apology from the A animal rights group for distributing false information and the removal of the post.
In response, a representative from the A animal rights group stated, "Since rescues are not carried out based on 100% accurate information, it is sometimes revealed later through police investigations what the exact facts are," adding, "As dog slaughter often occurs nationwide during the Dog Days, preventive activities were inevitable."
Image sources: Reference pictures for understanding the article / gettyimagesbank, reference pictures for understanding the article / unsplash, post by the A animal rights group on social media.
