A failure to muzzle aggressive pets in public is illegal and carries a fine of up to NT$150,000, the Taichung Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office said yesterday.
The office issued the reminder in the wake of an incident on Saturday last week in which an unmuzzled pit bull allegedly mauled a Poodle to death.
A Taichung woman surnamed Weng (翁) was walking her Poodle with her daughter when she said a pit bull belonging to a woman surnamed Hung (洪) suddenly attacked it, inflicting fatal injuries, despite several passersby trying to calm the pit bull down by throwing water over it.
The pit bull allegedly responsible for the attack weighed about 20kg, 10 times the weight of the Poodle, Weng said.
Weng said Hung’s behavior was irresponsible and that her attitude during the attack was uncooperative.
Hung had accused them of not controlling their Poodle, Weng said, adding that she is considering filing a lawsuit.
When asked for comment, the office said pit bull owners have a legal obligation to muzzle their dogs in public under Article 20 of the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法).
Promulgated by the Council of Agriculture in 2001, the act requires owners of “aggressive” pets weighing more than 23kg, or with a history of aggressive behavior, to be muzzled, leashed and under the supervision of an adult in public, with the leash not exceeding 1.5m in length.
In a supplementary regulation, the Council of Agriculture in the same year declared the pit bull, the Tosa and the Neapolitan mastiff aggressive pets that are subject to the restrictions, with pit bulls defined as the American pit bull terrier, the American Staffordshire terrier and the Staffordshire Bull terrier.
Last year, the council added the Dogo Argentino, the Fila Brasileiro, the Molosser and dogs with mixed breeding from recognized aggressive breeds to the list of canines that must be muzzled.
Taichung Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office Director Chiang Wen-chuan (江文全) said pit bulls, Tosas and Mosslers are rare breeds and while dogs of a certain breed might have broadly similar characteristics, the temperament of an individual animal is ultimately the responsibility of the owner, who is legally accountable for controlling their pet.
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