A farmer in South Korea has confessed to killing his neighbour's dog, cooking it, and serving it to its unsuspecting owners for dinner.
The 62-year-old unnamed farmer claimed that he killed the dog by throwing a stone at it when it would not stop barking.
He then strangled the Welsh corgi and cooked it, a detective in the southern city of Pyeongtaek told AFP.
The incident sparked outcry from the public when the daughter of the family who owned the dog posted an online plea for support to ensure that the farmer was punished.
She wrote: “We had been all around the town, handing out leaflets containing the dog’s picture, phone number and rewards of £660 (1m won), in order to find the missing dog,” she 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.”
She continued: “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.”
The farmer admitted to killing the pet after another neighbour tipped off the corgi’s owners to the crime.
Dog meat is part of South Korean cuisine but has been on the decline as more people have begun to consider the animals as pets.
Activists have launched campaigns to ban dog consumption. A newly passed law states that people caught abusing animals can face up to two years in prison or £13,000 (20m won) in fines.
