Woman Who Kicked Dog to Save Child from Attack Asked to Pay 4 Million Won in Damages: "What Should I Do?"

Owner Demands Compensation, Saying "The Dog Died"

A story has emerged in which a woman, who subdued a dog to rescue an elementary school student from an attack by the unleashed pet, is now being asked by the dog's owner to pay a large amount in compensation.

On June 25, several social media platforms saw widespread sharing of a post titled, "I need advice on how much I should pay for the dog's injury."

Image from Pixabay to aid understanding of the article

The author, identified as Ms. A, stated that the day before, she witnessed an unleashed dog biting and refusing to let go of an elementary school student's leg near a crosswalk. Ms. A explained, "The dog wouldn't release the child's leg, so I kicked it several times to get it off. I saw blood coming from the dog's mouth, but since the child's leg was torn and bleeding badly, taking the child to the hospital was the priority."

She added that she was only contacted by the dog owner after taking the injured child to the hospital. According to the owner, the dog was a Spitz breed and, although it received treatment at a secondary animal hospital, it ultimately died. The owner reportedly demanded approximately 4 million won for treatment costs, as well as compensation for the dog's value and emotional distress.

Ms. A said, "I didn't know the child at all. I acted purely to save the child, but now I'm worried that I might be treated as the perpetrator." She continued, "To get the dog off, I kicked its head and abdomen about three to four times. As a woman, I didn't have much strength, so I had to kick more times." She also added, "Even after I separated the dog, it lunged again, so I kicked it once more. Only then did the dog scream and run away."

Ms. A said she plans to consult with a lawyer and asked, "I acted to escape danger, and the struggle took longer because I lacked strength. I wonder if this can be taken into consideration."

According to Article 735 of the current Civil Act, a person may be exempt from liability for damages if they act to avoid imminent danger to another person's life or body, provided there is no intent or gross negligence.

However, whether or not she is actually liable will likely be determined by comprehensively considering the urgency of the situation at the time, whether the method used to subdue the dog exceeded what was necessary, and whether there was any excessive response.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.