A string of attacks on cats and dogs in Yilan County has outraged animal protection groups, who urged authorities to find the culprits and bring them to justice.
Officials at Yilan County’s Animal and Plant Disease Control Center on Friday last week said that a resident of Nanao Township (南澳) on May 17 found a two-month old kitten pierced by blow darts at an eatery in front of Penglai Elementary School.
The female kitten was clinging to life when found, with one dart through the left ear and two others sticking to her body.
Photo courtesy of the Yilan County Animal and Plant Disease Control Center
Officials at the center said it was lucky that the darts did not puncture major organs and there was no major bleeding.
After emergency treatment by a veterinarian, the kitten was recovering well, the center said, adding that an animal welfare group has helped to place the kitten with a new owner.
Chen Wen-chin (陳文進), head of the center, said the steel darts can cause serious injuries, but can be bought easily.
“This type of dart should be restricted. We will discuss such measures with other agencies to coordinate the effort,” he said.
Meanwhile, four stray dogs were poisoned at a hill area in Yuanshan Township (員山). Residents said they noticed the dogs had gone missing a while ago from their usual haunts and where they were being fed.
The bodies of three were found recently with white froth at their mouths. The fourth dog has not been found, but residents do not hold out much hope.
A local animal welfare activist surnamed Lin (林), who was upset over the death of the dogs, said he was sure that someone had deliberately poisoned them.
Yilan County Stray Dog Care Association secretary-general Chin Hui-ling (秦慧玲) called the person who perpetrated the crime “a deranged murderer.”
“How can anyone hurt these animals who are unable to defend themselves? If this person is caught, he must receive counseling. Society must not ignore this issue and should think of ways to solve the stray dog problem,” Chin said.
She urged government agencies to mount an awareness campaign to educate the public — including parents and schools — about the issue.
Liu Pi-yang (劉必楊), a section chief at Yilan County’s Animal and Plant Disease Control Center, said the county currently has about 4,000 stray dogs, citing figures from the Council of Agriculture.
“We have dog-catcher units that will do their job at different intervals. The public should not try to catch the strays, as they can be fined between NT$15,000 and NT$75,000 under the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法),” he said.
Seriously injuring or killing animals is a criminal act that carries a jail term of up to a year, Liu said, adding that the public can report incidents to the center by calling 0396-02350.
Additional reporting by Wang Chih-hsiung
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS