A veterinary clinic employee allegedly dumped the remains of dozens of animals at a mountain in Eumseong County in North Chungcheong Province, police said Thursday.

Police summoned a veterinary hospital employee to investigate the charges of dumping about 70 dead dogs, including newborn puppies and skeletal remains, on a mountain in Geumwang-eup.

An animal registration chip was found in one of the carcasses that contained medical records of the dog for the clinic where the suspect is employed. The clinic, 2 kilometers from where the dumping occurred, operated as a shelter for abandoned animals under the consignment of the local government.

The suspect purportedly dumped the carcass to reduce the cost of incineration, according to police.

The bodies of five deceased dogs will be sent to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

According to local residents, the number of dog carcasses had increased from winter last year, and as the weather cleared their appearance was revealed along with a corresponding stench.

(hnpark@heraldcorp.com)