Suwon District Court in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province (Naver Map) A dog breeding farm owner in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for cutting open a live mother dog to remove its puppies and for illegally euthanizing sick and elderly dogs.The Suwon District Court on Tuesday sentenced the former operator, whose identity is withheld, to 18 months in prison and a fine of 3 million won ($2,010) for violating the Animal Protection Act, Veterinarians Act and Building Act. A manager from the farm received a 14-month prison term. Both were taken into custody immediately after sentencing.In total, five people were convicted in connection with the case. A third manager received a one-year prison sentence suspended for three years, while two employees were each handed eight-month prison terms suspended for two years. They were also ordered to perform 120 to 200 hours of community service.The defendants operated the breeding facility between May 2022 and August 2023. Prosecutors said they performed an unlicensed cesarean section on a live mother dog to extract its puppies, causing the animal's death.They were also accused of killing 15 elderly dogs with infectious diseases by injecting muscle relaxants and of administering vaccines and antibiotics without veterinary licenses.Investigators found that about 1,400 dogs were being kept at the facility despite the insufficient number of workers. When authorities first arrived, they discovered the bodies of 92 dead dogs wrapped in newspaper inside freezers and other places within the facilities.The defendants argued that the mother had already died and that the procedure was for saving the puppies. The court rejected the claim, citing veterinary findings showing bleeding, inflammation and other biological reactions indicating that the dog was alive when its abdomen was opened.The presiding judge said the defendants had shown "an extreme disregard for animal life" driven by financial gain. The court said it took into account that some defendants admitted part of the charges and had no prior criminal records when determining the sentences.The breeding facility has been shut since September 2023, after the provincial government obtained the owner's consent to relinquish ownership of the dogs, all of which were rescued in cooperation with animal welfare groups, according to animal rights group Korea Animal Rights Advocates.