Print

Mail

wiki links

Animal groups call for stronger law

Demonstrators from animal rights and environmental groups protest outside the Legislative Yuan yesterday calling for stricter licensing and more humane treatment of animals at the country's farms and slaughterhouses. PHOTO: CHIEN JUNG-FONG, TAIPEI TIMES

Animal rights activists yesterday appealed to lawmakers to make stricter amendments to the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法).

The legislative Economics and Energy Committee is set to review two draft amendments proposed by Democratic Progressive Party legislators Wang Sing-nan (王幸男) and Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) today.

Wang's amendment proposal focuses on making repeated animal cruelty a crime.

"Legislation against animal cruelty has become a trend worldwide ... I believe it's time for us to tighten the penalty," Wang said.

For the moment, people treating animals cruelly are only fined, Wang said.

A proposed amendment by Hsiao, which has received the endorsement of 65 legislators, provides much more protection to animals.

Hsiao's proposal would not only make animal cruelty a crime on first offense, but would also include welfare promotion for farm animals and regulations on financial transactions involving household pets.

Although most of animal protection groups lauded the amendment proposals, they still hoped for more.

Su Sheng-chieh (蘇聖傑) said a national-level animal protection agency should be created.

Su is the founder of Meet Pets, a Web site promoting animal adoption.

"There should be an animal protection agency under the Council of Agriculture," Su said, adding that animal protection currently falls under the Animal Industry Department of the Council.

Chu Cheng-hung (朱增宏), president of the Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan, agreed.

"Animal protection has nothing to do with cattle ... it needs professionals in the field," Chu said.

Animal groups also believe traps should be banned.

"People use animal traps to prevent wild animals from damaging crops, but in the end all that animal traps do is hurt animals," Lin Shiun-long (林荀龍), a veterinarian, said.

"Animal traps should be banned by law," Lin added.

Wang disagreed with a complete ban on animal traps, but said he would support tighter controls.

"Maybe we can try an animal trap registration system to prevent abuse," Wang said.

While he agreed with animal protection groups, director of Tainan City Animal Health Inspection and Quarantine Institute Lee Chao-chuan (李朝全) had some reservations.

"We'd love to adopt all your suggestions. However, as a government agency, we constantly face problems such as a lack of manpower, funds and legal aid," Lee said. "We therefore need accompanying measures in all these areas."
This story has been viewed 1342 times.