Animal protection groups yesterday called on legislators to enact stricter regulations on animal reproduction centers, claiming that current regulations were "loose" and had failed to prevent breeders from abusing animals.
Early this month in Pingtung County, a dog breeding operation was discovered in which more than 100 dogs had been left in a locked house with no food or water.
Many dead dogs were also found at the premises, and were presumed to have been bitten to death by other dogs in the house.
Rescue operation
"People living near the reproduction center told us that many dead bodies were carried away before we got there [by the owners?]. I don't know exactly how many dogs died there," said Ker Tzu-hsiu (
Ker was one of the volunteers who went to the house to clean it and take canine survivors to vets after reports about the breeding operation broke on June 5.
Evidence
Ker showed several pictures taken at the facility.
"Look at this plastic bag," she said, pointing to one picture.
"I presume that inside the bag were the dead bodies of dogs as [I could see] the nails of a dog here [through the plastic bag]. And this, this dead golden retriever's nose, mouth and the soles of its feet were all gone," Ker said at a public hearing yesterday.
The public hearing was hosted by Democratic Progressive Party legislators Tien Chiu-chin (
President of the Taipei Pet Commerce Association Chen Ming-chih (陳明進) said that the Pingtung case was just a single event.
"I believe that most our members would like to be governed [by new laws] if the ... [they] are reasonable," Chen said.
New rules
However, representatives of animal protection groups didn't agree with Chen's interpretation.
Chu Tseng-hong (朱增宏), president of Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan, said similar cases were discovered from time to time.
"People who are found abusing animals or illegally running an animal reproduction business will be fined just NT$150,000 [US$4,600] at most. It's actually `nothing' to them," Chu said.
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