Dogs abused, killed at day care centers — how UK and Germany prevent it before doors open

A series of animal abuse cases at dog day care centers — where operators mistreated pets entrusted to them by paying owners — has drawn fresh attention to how such facilities are regulated.

Under South Korea's Animal Protection Act, dog day care centers fall under the category of animal boarding businesses. Operators must register with their local government and install closed-circuit television cameras in areas where animals are kept. Because owners spend most of the day apart from their pets, it is difficult for them to know what is happening inside the facility.

According to legal sources, Yonhap and the animal rights legal group Yeongwon, Judge Park Seong-su of Jeonju District Court's Criminal Division 12 issued a summary order on Sept. 11 imposing a fine of 10 million won ($7,450) on the operator of a dog day care center in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, on charges of violating the Animal Protection Act. The sentence became final after the operator, identified only as A, did not request a formal trial.

A faces charges of abusing dogs left in their care on 10 separate occasions between Oct. 3 and Nov. 30 last year — kicking animals in the torso and hindquarters and throwing objects at their heads and necks.

CCTV footage showing the abuse was aired earlier this year on the MBC investigative program Silhwa Tamsadae. Yeongwon filed a criminal complaint against A on behalf of the affected owners.

Yeongwon said all 10 instances of abuse it had flagged were found guilty by the court.

In Seoul, a dog entrusted to a day care center died last month after the operator threw a mobile phone that struck the animal.

According to a KBS report on Oct. 28, the operator of a Seoul dog day care center threw a mobile phone at two dogs that were fighting on Oct. 12. The dog that was struck collapsed on the spot and stopped moving.

About an hour later, the operator told the dog's owner, identified only as Kim, that the animal had suddenly died after falling down some stairs. When Kim asked to see the CCTV footage two days later, the operator acknowledged for the first time that the initial account had not been true.

"They told me it fell from two or three steps up and suddenly died," Kim said. "This is my child being killed," Kim added.

Kim filed a police complaint against the operator on charges including violation of the Animal Protection Act. As of the time of the report — more than two weeks after the incident — the day care center was still operating.

Yeongwon assessed the punishment in the Jeonju case as the stiffest handed down in a dog day care abuse case where no animal died. The group said, however, that the sentence still falls short.

"When a person entrusted with an animal on the basis of an owner's trust betrays that trust and commits abuse, the culpability is extremely high and must be fully reflected in sentencing," Yeongwon said.

The Supreme Court's Sentencing Commission has applied sentencing guidelines for animal abuse offenses since July 1 last year. The baseline recommended sentence for causing pain or injury to an animal is two to 10 months in prison or a fine of 1 million to 10 million won.

The 10 million won fine imposed on A sits at the top of that baseline range. For offenses that result in an animal's death, the baseline recommendation is four months to one year in prison or a fine of 3 million to 12 million won.

Aggravating factors that can increase a sentence include targeting multiple animals, repeated offenses over a significant period, a blameworthy motive, a cruel method and habitual offending.

There is no separate aggravating factor for cases in which a person paid to care for an animal abuses it.

Research shows that handling dogs through fear-based methods leaves effects that persist long after training ends.

A research team at the University of Porto in Portugal published a study in the international journal PLOS ONE in December 2020 analyzing the relationship between dog training methods and animal welfare.

The team studied 92 dogs attending seven dog training schools in Portugal, dividing them into two groups: those trained primarily through punishment or aversive stimuli, and those trained primarily through reward-based methods.

Dogs trained with punishment-based methods displayed significantly more stress behaviors, such as crouching and vocalizing.

Cortisol levels measured from saliva after training sessions also rose more sharply in the punishment-trained group than in the reward-trained group.

When the research team conducted experiments in unfamiliar settings, dogs from the punishment-based group approached bowls placed in ambiguous locations — where food may or may not be present — more slowly.

The team interpreted this as the dogs perceiving their situation more pessimistically, and went on to say that "the use of aversive training methods should be avoided."

Dog day care is not cheap. A joint survey by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Korea Consumer Agency published in July 2024 found that users spent an average of 250,000 won ($186) per month for small dogs weighing up to 10 kilograms and 340,000 won for large dogs weighing up to 25 kilograms. Three percent of users spent more than 1 million won a month.

Among the 64 facilities surveyed, 24 (37.5 percent) did not allow mid-term refunds, and 20 (31.3 percent) failed to display their business registration number and pricing in online advertisements.

Of 300 users surveyed, 54 (18 percent) said they had not signed a boarding contract. Under the enforcement regulations of the Animal Protection Act, animal boarding businesses are required to provide owners with a written contract.

Of the 95 dog day care consultations logged by the 1372 Consumer Counseling Center between 2019 and 2023, 70.6 percent concerned contract cancellation or termination disputes.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' 2025 Animal Protection and Welfare Survey, boarding businesses accounted for 23.8 percent of the country's 24,384 registered pet businesses nationwide — second only to grooming businesses at 44.5 percent.

The United Kingdom regulates dog day care centers through a local government licensing system.

Under statutory guidance issued by the UK government to local authorities on dog day care licensing, each staff member may supervise no more than 10 dogs at a time. A minimum of 6 square meters of indoor and outdoor space must be provided per dog.

Dogs must be under human supervision at all times while at the facility, and overnight boarding is not permitted. Crating is allowed for no more than one hour out of every eight, and only with the owner's consent.

Staff must hold a recognized qualification or demonstrate relevant knowledge and experience, and businesses must review and update their training plans annually.

On handling methods, the guidance explicitly states that dogs must "never be punished in a way that causes fear." Training must rely solely on reward-based methods, and techniques or tools that cause pain or fear are prohibited.

Day care licenses are valid for one year. Only facilities that meet higher standards may receive two- or three-year licenses.

In Germany, opening a dog day care center requires approval from the competent veterinary authority. Section 11 of Germany's Animal Protection Act designates businesses that keep or care for animals for commercial purposes as subject to licensing.

Operating without a permit carries a fine of up to 25,000 euros ($28,100).

Japan classifies businesses that board and care for pets under the Act on Welfare and Management of Animals as "Class 1 animal handling businesses," subject to a registration system.

Businesses that board customers' animals — such as pet hotels and pet-sitting services — must employ at least one full-time "animal handling supervisor" at each location. Supervisors must hold a veterinary or veterinary nursing license, or have graduated from a relevant educational institution.