In Asia, it is normal cultural practice to eat dog meat, but Taiwan is completely banning the ‘consumption, purchase, or possession of dog and cat meat’.
The new law comes after concerns for animal welfare are mounting due to a series of graphic animal abuse cases caused public outrage.
Legislator Wang Yu-min said that the move in Taiwan is the first of its kind in Asia and ‘shows that Taiwan is a society with advanced animal welfare’.
Other countries in Asia like Hong Kong and China have banned the killing of cats and dogs for sale as meat, but not gone as far as to outlaw the consumption of them.
In Taiwan, anyone caught killing or abusing animals will face a maximum of two years in jail and a fine of two million Taiwan dollars (£52012), while repeat offenders will be fined more than double.
The bill also outlaws the ‘walking’ of animals by tying their leash to a car and forcing them to run.
Animal rights protest have taken place in Taiwan particularly after a male hippo, famous for performing at a zoo, died after breaking a leg and sustaining injuries through transportation.
Taiwan now has some of the most robust animal protection laws out of anywhere in Asia.
