On 28 April 2021, the amendment of the Animal Protection Act passed its third reading by the Taiwan Legislative Yuan, making a great leap towards the target of a comprehensive protection statute for animals in Taiwan, well ahead of any comparative animal welfare law in nearby Asian countries.

The previous Animal Protection Act defined “abusing” as “assault or administrating drugs or toxins”, leaving a gap for people who intentionally abused animals by means of starvation or abandonment. With the new amendment, section 30(1) now covers omissions as a basis for animal abuse, i.e. causing injury to an animal leading to mangled limbs, loss of major organ functions, or death through deliberate abandonment or starvation. Offenders could be imprisoned for maximum of two years and a fine between two hundred thousand to two million New Taiwan Dollars.

Further amendments include section 14(1) which regulates the capturing of animals. Taiwanese law now completely bans the use of traps, firearms other than a tranqualizer gun, poison or corrosive substances to capture animals. Offenders who contravene this section are liable upon conviction of a fine between fifteen thousand to seventy-five thousand New Taiwan Dollars.

Taiwanese vets have disclosed that people abandoned their pets simply when the bloom was off the rose. The amendment would likely deter people from continuing to do so. Voices have been made for a long time, urging authorities to regulate the unlawful use of traps, as animal rescue organizations have discovered over twenty stray cats and dogs being badly injured by traps.

 We can only hope other jurisdictions including Hong Kong will follow in Taiwan’s path in strengthening our animal protection laws.

Courtesy of Marco Poon.

Main Source: Now新聞