A man in Yilan County has received a 40-day commutable jail sentence and a NT$200,000 fine for shooting his neighbor’s pet pit bull with an improvised firearm.
The man, surnamed Lin (林), and the dog’s owner, surnamed Jen (任), are neighbors in the Dananao (大南澳) area.
Jen typically keeps his dog, Ya-mei (雅美), in a shed behind Lin’s house, sources familiar with the matter said.
Lin had been upset with Ya-mei because the dog had an aggressive temperament and would often bark and bite at him or chase him, the Yilan District Court’s verdict said.
On Aug. 11 last year, Lin shot Ya-mei with a steel ball, which hit the dog in the abdomen and went through her spine, the verdict said.
Upon hearing the gunshot, Jen went outside to find Ya-mei lying on the grass, unable to stand on her back legs, sources said.
Although Ya-mei survived after emergency treatment, her hind legs are paralyzed, they said, adding that the dog now uses a wheelchair.
The next day, police obtained a warrant to search Lin’s home and seized a firearm, then forwarded the case to prosecutors, who indicted Lin.
Although animals are legally considered objects, they are living and aware of the external world, and are distinct from regular non-living objects, the judge said, according to sources.
Humans should respect the lives of animals as they must coexist, and should not engage in any form of harassment, abuse of violence toward animals, the judge said.
Lin, who had no previous criminal record, confessed to shooting the dog and was sentenced to a 40-day jail sentence, commutable to a NT$40,000 fine, as well as a NT$200,000 fine under the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法).
The gun Lin used to injure the dog was confiscated.
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