Pet Restaurant Dogs Abused: Legislators Call for Increased Penalties for Animal Cruelty

Central News Agency (Reporter Wang Yang-yu, Taipei, May 6) - Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators Kuo Yu-ching, Wu Pei-yi, and Miaoli County Councilor Chen Guang-xuan today cited the case of a pet restaurant in Xihu Township, Miaoli County, reported by the public for mistreating dogs, advocating for amending the law to increase penalties for animal cruelty and calling on all sectors to pay attention to animal protection issues to end the cycle of abuse. Regarding the pet restaurant in Xihu Township, Miaoli County, reported by the public for mistreating dogs, the county government said on the 2nd that in addition to fining the owner NT$75,000 under the Animal Protection Act, it also impounded and placed 10 dogs. The restaurant has now ceased operations. In response, Kuo Yu-ching, Wu Pei-yi, and Chen Guang-xuan held a press conference today at the Legislative Yuan titled "Mending the Gaps in Animal Protection, Ending the Cycle of Abuse," raising related demands. Kuo Yu-ching stated that the pet restaurant had abused golden retrievers for two to three years. Although the Miaoli County Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office quickly impounded the dogs, the public is concerned that the dogs might be returned to the original owner and questions whether the owner is capable of caring for the dogs. Kuo Yu-ching urged local governments to make correct judgments and decisions, safeguard the safety of the dogs, and follow up on their situation. She also hopes to increase penalties for animal cruelty, believing that the current three-year assessment mechanism cannot promptly reflect the true situation, and without immediate intervention, animal abuse incidents will not stop. Chen Guang-xuan said that this incident highlights several issues, including the need to increase penalties for animal cruelty. Kuo Yu-ching has already put forward a draft amendment, and he also urged the Miaoli County Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office not only to impound the dogs but also to confiscate them, so that they can be adopted by the general public and truly escape their hell. Kuo Yu-ching's proposed amendment to the Animal Protection Act comprehensively increases penalties for animal cruelty, raising the current imprisonment term from under two years to under three years, and increasing fines from NT$200,000-2,000,000 to NT$300,000-3,000,000. This aims to make abusers pay a higher price for their misdeeds and hopes to generate stronger legal deterrence. (Edited by Zhai Si-chia) 1150506