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Landmark ruling in dog attack case underscores that pets are more than property

Published: 02 Jul. 2025, 16:20

A visitor tries on pet apparel for their dogs at the 2025 K-Pet Fair, a pet industry exhibition held at Setec in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on March 16. [YONHAP]

In a ruling that underscores the growing legal recognition of pets as more than property, a local court has ordered a dog owner to pay damages after their pet attacked a neighbor and the neighbor’s dog.

The Gwangju District Court ruled in favor of the plaintiff, who filed a compensation suit against a neighbor whose dog bit both them and their companion animal during an altercation in September 2023, according to the Korea Legal Aid Corporation on Wednesday.

The plaintiff’s dog suffered serious injuries in the attack, while the plaintiff sustained wrist and other physical injuries while attempting to intervene. They paid 800,000 won ($590) in veterinary bills and another 30,000 won for personal medical treatment. With the help of the legal aid agency, they filed a lawsuit seeking a total of 2.83 million won in damages — including 2 million won for emotional distress.

In court, the plaintiff’s legal team emphasized the deep emotional bond between the owner and the injured dog — a relationship made even more significant by the plaintiff’s personal loss of a spouse and children. They argued that the dog should not be treated as mere property and that damages could not be measured solely by market value.

The court agreed, awarding full reimbursement of all medical costs and the full amount claimed for emotional damages.

The decision is being hailed as a significant step toward recognizing pets as family members under Korean civil law, rather than as objects or assets.

“This ruling sends a message about the consequences of irresponsible pet ownership,” said Kim Dong-min, a legal aid attorney who represented the plaintiff. “In compensation cases involving pets, the illegality of each case must be carefully examined to ensure that appropriate damages are awarded.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY LEE HAY-JUNE [[email protected]]