A man who pepper sprayed five cats in Houtong Cat Village last week "because he was in a bad mood" has been arrested on suspicion of animal abuse, New Taipei City police said today.
According to a police investigation, the 28-year-old suspect, surnamed Lee (李), left his home in New Taipei City's Yonghe District (永和) on Friday and took a train to Houtong (猴硐) carrying a bottle of pepper spray he had purchased.
Photo courtesy of a member of the public
At about 4pm, one of the village's on-site staff members noticed a pungent, acrid smell and went over to investigate, discovering five cats in a state of distress, of which four could not open their eyes.
After contacting a vet, who washed the cats' eyes with a saline solution, the cats gradually recovered, while the incident was reported to police.
According to the New Taipei City Police Department's Ruifang Precinct, an investigation using surveillance video footage was able to identify Lee as a suspect in the attack.
Yesterday, police went to Lee's home in Yonghe and brought him back for questioning, where he admitted to harming the cats "because he was in a bad mood," the precinct said.
After questioning, Lee was referred to New Taipei City prosecutors to be investigated for violations of the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法).
Houtong is a former coal mining town in the mountains east of Taipei whose abundance of stray cats have made it a tourist attraction.
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
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS