TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's cabinet, the Executive Yuan (行政院), passed a draft amendment to the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法) on Thursday (Jan. 8), intensifying pet owners' responsibilities. The amendment mandates owners to report lost pets within five days or face abandonment charges. The proposal significantly raises fines for abandonment, increasing the maximum penalty from NT$150,000 to NT$1 million.
Paul Liu (劉鏡清), former minister without portfolio, reviewed the draft, which emphasizes stricter penalties for abuse and killing. The Legislative Yuan (立法院), Taiwan's legislature, will deliberate on the amendment following its passage. The draft stipulates that pet owners surrendering animals to government agencies without valid reasons will be deemed to have abandoned their pets.
To prevent owners from using pet loss as an excuse to mask abandonment, the draft requires registered pet owners to report losses to municipal authorities within five days of the incident. Valid reasons such as injury or hospitalization are exceptions to this rule. The amendment adjusts fines for abandonment, now ranging from NT$100,000 to NT$1 million.
The draft also proposes harsher penalties for abuse and killing. Current penalties include imprisonment for up to two years or detention, along with fines ranging from NT$200,000 to NT$2 million. The amendment increases the imprisonment term from six months to five years, with fines ranging from NT$300,000 to NT$3 million.