News
Be Careful! Maximum 1-Year Imprisonment Awaits Those Who Disseminate Films about Harassing, Abusing or Harming Animals
The government revised and promulgated on January 27, 2010 an amendment to Article 27 of the Animal Protection Law and the newly added Paragraph 1 stimulates that any person who disseminates, broadcasts or sells printed words, pictures, sound, images, electromagnetic records or other items about harassing, abusing or harming animals, animal competitions, fights and slaughter animals, or publicly displays or uses other methods for people to watch or listen may be jailed for up to one year, put to detention, fined or concurrently fined a punitive penalty of NT$30,000 or less.
Except for Academic Research or Public Good Uses, Disseminating Films about Harassing, Abusing or Harming Animals Is Not Allowed
The Council of Agriculture (COA) said because Internet media can disseminate information far and wide, young people who want to make their blogs more popular often play video of harassing, abusing or harming animals, animal competitions, fights and animal slaughtering. Such behaviors are harmful to the society’s good custom and violate the spirit of the Animal Protection Law which calls for respecting animal lives and protecting animals. Many people have voiced their objections to such behaviors and the Legislative Yuan has taken the good advice and amended the law to include punitive penalty provisions.
According to the amended Animal Protection Law, no one shall randomly disseminate, broadcast or sell printed words, pictures, sound or images about harassing, abusing or harming animals, animal competition, fights or animal slaughtering unless it’s for academic research or public good uses.
COA Urges Citizens to Respect Animal Lives and Protect Animals
Noting that respect animal lives and protect animals is the responsibility of all citizens, the COA called on people not to harass or abuse animals at will or even randomly disseminate printed words, pictures or images about such acts because there are punitive penalty provisions for offenders. The Council reminded people that even if they did not harass, abuse or harm animals, force animals to fight or participate in competition, or kill animals, they should not randomly disseminate printed words, pictures or images about the above-mentioned illegal acts in order not to inadvertently break the Animal Protection Law.
