TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — After 14 dogs died overnight in Hualien County from suspected poisoning on Tuesday (Dec. 7), authorities have launched an investigation to find the culprit.
The Liberty Times cited a resident surnamed Tien (田) who lives near Xincheng Township's Qixingtan Beach as saying that after her four pet dogs came sprinting home Tuesday evening, they began to twitch, foam at the mouth, and gag. They died in the arms of Tien and her daughter, prompting Tien to report the incident to the police.
When the police, Hualien County Animal and Plant Disease Control Center, and volunteers arrived to investigate the case, they found 10 more dead dogs in fences and bushes near Tien’s house.
A volunteer surnamed Lin (林) told reporters that the dogs had all gone through trap-neuter-return (TNR) procedures in the past six months, were well-behaved, and got along well with locals. She worried that the lives of other dogs around Qixingtan Beach may be threatened as well.
Hualien County Animal and Plant Disease Control Center Director Chou Huang Te-jung (周黃得榮) was cited as saying this was the county's worst dog-poisoning incident in recent years. The center has taken nine of the bodies for examination, and the Institute for Animal Health will analyze the contents of the dogs' stomachs to confirm if they were indeed poisoned.
The police said they will patrol more frequently, interview local residents, and look at surveillance footage to find the culprit, per the Liberty Times. The incident was a severe violation of the Animal Protection Act, under which those who slaughter or maim animals are subject to up to two years of prison and fines between NT$200,000 (US$7,220) and NT$2 million.
If the dogs are proven to have died of poisoning, the culprit will be subject to between one and five years of imprisonment and a fine of between NT$500,000 and NT$5 million.
