The China Post
Date: February 10, 2017
By: Sun Hsin Hsuan
Lawmakers on Thursday pushed to raise the maximum penalty for pet owners who
A stray dog awaits adoption at the public animal shelter in Zhonghe on Feb. 2. (Photo courtesy of the Zhonghe Public Animal Shelter )
abandon their animals, following the recent implementation of a policy banning animal euthanasia that could see Taiwan’s stray crisis deepen.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Lin Chun-Hsien (林俊憲) said that the Animal Protection Act be should amended to raise the punishments for those who abandon pets to between NT$100,000 and NT$300,000, up from the current NT$30,000-NT$150,000.
The call came as a controversial no-kill policy took effect this week, banning the putting down of animals nationwide except for those diagnosed with an incurable disease.
While the policy has received popular approbation, animal rights groups have warned that the stray animal problem is likely to worsen without comprehensive measures to support the policy. [FULL STORY]
