Taiwan Bans Slaughter Of Cats & Dogs For Human Consumption

Taiwan is set to become the first in Asia to ban the consumption of dog and cat meat, due to pet ownership increasing across the continent. Anyone who abuses the revised Animal Protection Act faces a fine of up to 250,000 Taiwan dollars. Also, animal cruelty or slaughter offences have been raised to up to two years in prison, along with fines of up to 2m Taiwan dollars. And for repeat offenders, they can see up to five years and even harsher fines. Under the new law, convictions can become subject to public shame as well as their names and photos published by the government.The new law also takes into consideration pet’s safety rights, making it illegal for a pet to be walked while its guardian is riding a scooter or driving a car. The amendment, which is pending a signature by the president, may go into effect by the end of April.The dog meat trade is massive in Asia as a whole. There are an estimated two million dogs slaughtered for food every year in South Korea, for example.Taiwan’s groundbreaking move gives animal right campaigners hope that a “growing trend” will arise to finally end animal cruelty.