[Photo Credit to Pixabay]

Every year, thousands of puppies are being required for beauty certificate tests only. 

Most dogs have been injured by beauty tools such as scissors and mortar, and most are  abandoned at dog treatment plants afterward. 

An animal rights group rescued dozens of puppies in a greenhouse in Gyeonggi Province. Some dogs had  severe injuries, ranging from torn flesh to  blindness. 

Under the Animal Protection Act, production and sale of pets require authorization from local governments. 

However, most dogs that are left unattended in illegally operating breeding grounds n  are used for cosmetic practice. 

Beginners, rather than professionals, use these dogs as practice tools for certification purposes. Animal rights groups argue that it is animal cruelty when dogs are kept for dog grooming practices.

Called the "puppy factory," breeding grounds dogs are put into dog grooming academies for practical use. 

Pet groomers earn certification as dog groomers by going through training programs at private academies. In these programs, they learn skills like washing, cutting, and handling dogs safely. 

Once certified, many groomers start their own shops or offer mobile services. 

However, there are challenges with keeping dogs safe, as some dogs suffer injuries during grooming due to sharp tools like scissors and clippers. 

In certain extreme cases, some groomers have even been known to withhold food from dogs to prevent them from going to the bathroom during appointments, raising concerns about animal treatment. 

This has led some groomers to post on social media about quitting the profession and giving up their licenses, as they have seen or heard about dogs getting hurt during training. 

These incidents have sparked conversations regarding the need for safer practices and stricter rules in dog grooming.

On top of that, certification exams for pet groomers are held four to six times a year. Hundreds of candidates take the test, which means that thousands of dogs are required a year in addition to the practice.

Most dogs that complete the training are abandoned into abandoned dog disposal facilities.

On the other hand, some argue that hands-on breeding is an inevitable process for related industries. 

As many as 12,229 animal beauty businesses have registered in Korea. For the first time this year, the number has exceeded 10,000. 

The animal beauty industry  operates under a registration system, and some veterinary clinics as well as dog shops that are common on the street are also running animal beauty businesses.

Under the Animal Protection Act, animal cruelty refers to the act of causing unnecessary or unavoidable pain and stress, as well as the neglect or neglect of appropriate measures against hunger and illness. 

Abuse of an animal is punishable by imprisonment for up to three years or a fine of up to $30 million.