Animal disease officials yesterday said they had confiscated more than 400 dried dog penises, testicles and various internal organs in a raid on an illegal slaughterhouse in Yunlin County on Tuesday.
The Animal Disease Control Center said a total of 435 penises were discovered in a refridgerator along with the other body parts, while 12 fresh dog corpses were also found in the raid.
It was not immediately clear why the owner of the abattoir kept the body parts, a spokeswoman said.
However, local media suggested the man could have used the penises as an ingredient in herbal wine in the belief they could help boost male potency.
Two dogs were rescued during the raid and officials also discovered a number of collars, indicating some of the dead animals could have been pets, the spokeswoman said.
The owner of the facility, who is suspected of selling dog meat as food, has a previous record of killing animals, she said.
The suspect could face a maximum one-year jail term and a fine of up to NT$1 million (US$34,500) if found to be a repeat violator of the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法), which bans the killing of dogs.
While dog meat featured on menus in Taiwan in the past, it is now an offense to eat either dogs or cats and anyone doing can face fines of up to NT$500,000.
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