A South Korean man in his 30s was fined 2 million won ($1,500) for throwing a pomeranian out of the second floor of a building, local court said Sunday.

The dog in question survived the fall, but sustained severe injuries to its spine and nervous system, including paralysis of its hind legs.

The Seoul Northern District Court recently handed the sentence to the defendant for violating the Animal Protection Act, which states that those inflicting pain on an animal without just cause shall be punished. Those inflicting injuries to an animal can be punished by up to 2 years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won. Killing an animal can be punished by up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won.

A witness to the crime said the man got out of his home to throw the dog, then went back inside. The witness took the pomeranian to a nearby animal hospital to have it treated.

South Korea has seen a sharp increase in the number of animal abuse cases in the past decade. There had been 98 violations of the Animal Protection Act in 2011, with cases increasing every year to 1,072 in 2021, according to the National Police Agency.

The government is currently pushing to ban those who had been found guilty of animal cruelty from having pets.