The Hwasun Shelter Dog-Fighting Dog Swap Scandal
Seized Dogs Secretly Returned to Dogfighters — Organized Deception, Missing Evidence, and Institutional Failure
In December 2025, the animal rights organization CARE uncovered a shocking case in Hwasun, South Jeolla Province, far beyond illegal dog-fighting. While investigating a dog-fighting gambling ring, CARE activists were physically assaulted, and during follow-up inspections at the Hwasun County animal shelter, they discovered that several seized fighting dogs had been secretly replaced. High-value dogs had vanished, and shelter officials initially denied the problem. Investigation revealed that dog-fighting operators had exploited the inexperience of shelter staff, gaining frequent and eventually unrestricted access under the guise of “feeding and care,” systematically swapping the original dogs with others. CARE confronted authorities in a night-long standoff, recovered some of the dogs, and secured restrictions on dog movements—but serious administrative failures and intimidation persisted.
By late December, despite explicitly telling CARE that the dogs would not be returned, Hwasun County quietly sent nearly all seized dogs back to the dog-fighting operators over a weekend, leaving only one dog behind. County officials claimed it was “under police instruction,” though police have no legal authority to return seized animals. CARE has announced plans to file criminal complaints against responsible officials for abuse of authority and dereliction of duty. The organization continues to track down every missing dog, pledging that all perpetrators—whether dog-fighters or officials who enabled the crime—will be held legally accountable until the full truth is exposed.
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