Taoyuan officials are seeking penalties of NT$3 million (US$94,029) on an unlicensed pet breeder in the Jhongli District (中壢) after rescuing 36 cats.
After receiving a tip-off, authorities raided an unlicensed animal breeding farm in Jhongli District (中壢) and found unhealthy and malnourished Maine Coons living in a dirty environment full of feces, Taoyuan Animal Protection Office head Wang De-chi (王得吉) said.
The owner of the farm, a man surnamed Lin (林), was questioned and is facing charges for contravening the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法) and other laws. Lin was also found to be a reoffender, as he had been fined for illegal breeding in 2021 and last year.
Photo courtesy of the Taoyuan Animal Protection Office
Animal protection officers rescued 36 Maine Coons, which were in poor health after living in unsanitary conditions, and were taken to a veterinarian, officials said, adding that the cats have been recovering well.
The city is seeking a maximum fine of NT$3 million for the breeder, Wang said, adding that evidence of forgery and documents of false financial transactions have been transferred to prosecutors for criminal investigation.
The office received a tip-off regarding the Jhongli site on Saturday from Hsinchu City Pets TNVR Association director Shao Po-hu (邵柏虎), he said.
Animal protection officers carried out a raid the next day and found the cats in distressing conditions, so it turned into a rescue operation, he said, adding that Lin was summoned as part of the judicial investigation.
“The unlicensed facility was quite unsanitary. The cats were living in deplorable conditions, on grounds with accumulated feces. Some cats had fur so matted that it hampered their movement, and most were malnourished and emaciated,” Wang said.
Authorities also seized a large quantity of prescription-only drugs and vaccines for pets, and the owner likely administered those without a veterinary license, which breaches the Veterinary Drugs Control Act (動物用藥品管理法), Wang added.
To avoid getting caught for unlicensed pet breeding, Lin used tactics such as hiding animal origins by falsifying registrations and creating fake records of microchip implants, he said.
As the Maine Coon is becoming a popular pet, it is generating market demand, Wang said, urging the public to call the 1959 hotline to report illegal breeding, unlicensed sales and transactions, and abuse of animals.
The cats would be up for adoption from early next month, he added.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS