Eating cats and dogs banned in Taiwan

Taiwan has banned the eating of cats and dogs, as pressure grows to improve animal welfare after a spate of cruelty cases that stirred public outrage.


Parliament passed legislation to outlaw the consumption, purchase or possession of dog and cat meat, with offenders facing a fine of up to Tw$250,000 (€7,700).

The bill also increased the penalty for killing or abusing animals to a maximum two-year jail term and a fine of Tw$2 million, more than doubling that for repeat offenders.

"This shows that Taiwan is a society with advanced animal welfare," said Wang Yu-min, who proposed the amendment.

Like some other Asian nations, dog consumption was common in Taiwan decades ago and although it is much rarer now, there have been sporadic reports of shops being caught selling dog meat in recent years.
   [rte.ie]
12/4/17