Taiwan first Asian country to ban eating cat and dog Taiwan has made history becoming the first Asian country to ban the sale and consumption of cat and dog meat. The country’s legislature passed a legal amendment to the Animal Protection Act state that offenders could be punished with a monetary fine of NTD 50,000 to $2 million (A$2178 to $87080). The amendment's sponsor, Kuomintang Legislator Wang Yu-min, said that while some localities already had measures banning dog and cat meat consumption, national legislation was needed. Taiwanese photographer Tou Chih-kang and his assistant steady a scared dog for a portrait in a makeshift studio during the final moments of its life before being put down by lethal injection at a shelter in Taoyuan. Photo: AP Several other amendments were also passed, in a step towards making the country more animal friendly. Stiffer punishments will be enforced for those who intentionally harm animals which include a maximum of two years’ imprisonment and fines of between NT$200,000 and NT$2 million. Pet owners will now be penalised if they are seen with their leashed dogs running alongside their scooters. A dog stands on a scooter with his owners as they wait at an intersection in Taipei, Taiwan. Photo: AP It is now illegal to ‘walk’ animals via motor vehicles with offenders facing possible fines up to NT$15,000. Before taking effect, the amendments still need to be signed into law by the Cabinet and Presidential Office, which could take place before the end of the month. Tourists stop to view one of the hundred or so resident cats resting on a wall in the small town of Houtong, Taiwan. Photo: AP The amendments come in response to several high-profile incidents of animal cruelty. Just last year, a video went viral of a group of Taiwanese marines viciously beating a dog before hanging it and throwing its lifeless body into the ocean, triggering an investigation and sparking public protests. A video of this dog went viral last year. Photo: on.cc Last October, Chan Ho-yeung – a student from Macau studying in Taiwan – was sentenced to 10 months in prison after being convicted of killing two stray cats.
This is really good of Taiwan to begin the first steps, hopefully this will encourage other countries to make changes. I know you can't stop people from eating them straightaway.... but treating pets and strays better is the way forward....baby step baby steps.... I wonder if they have an equivalent of the RSPCA or maybe like a battersea cats and dogs home - they would definitely help and support the cause.
I'm actually surprised it's taken this long to legalize it in an Asian country heck, I figured HK would have been the first since there's so many pet lovers there...
I know right! But i know over there its still a 'delicacy' / alternative food source..so I get it but not the animal cruelty that's just wrong..... When I went Korea, they definitely had dogs on the menu.....but I didn't try it.
Interesting...is there a specific type of dog that's considered a delicacy there in HK? Still surprised by that...
lol..when i mean 'over there' i meant like asia But tbh even in HK itself, i wouldn't be surprised if you find dog meat available 'somewhere' ......... when there's a will, there's a way.....
LOL. Seeing how Taiwan has tried so hard in separating themselves from China, I too am shocked that it has taken this long for some sort of legislative action. Taiwan is big and modern in the dramas and media, but there are plenty of areas on the outskirts that still practice this unwelcomed taste.
LOL. You can‘t be serious with that particular breed type question. I highly doubt you will see dog meat readily available in Hong Kong. While there may be no legal ruling, dog meat consumption will probably not be well received. It is a sensitive subject, but you should look up videos on stuff like bear bile. It‘s very disgusting. I love animals and have had various pets growing up, including ducks, and it hurts me when I see exotic animals being hunted, poached and most of all, pushed to the brink of extinction. Dogs are considered a man‘s best friend and there is good reason for that.
