Taiwan on Tuesday became the first Asian country to outlaw the consumption of dog and cat meat with the passage of a bill that cracks down on animal cruelty, the National Geographic reported on Wednesday.
The country’s revised animal protection law gives violators harsher punishments, including five-digit fines, jail time and even public shaming, according to The Associated Press.
The act previously only targeted the slaughter and sale of dogs and cats for human consumption. Now anyone found eating or selling dog or cat meat faces a fine up to $8,000 as well as their name and photo being publicized.
Those found to deliberately harm animals also face two years in prison and a $65,000 fine. Pulling an animal on a leash that’s tied to a driver or motorcyclist is also punishable with a fine up to $500.
The Humane Society International readily praised the country’s decision as a “monumental step in ending the dog meat trade.”
“This legislation is going to send a message to the Chinese mainland, Nagaland state in India, Vietnam, Indonesia and other Asian countries where dog meat consumption is still legal that ending the brutal dog meat trade is the positive trend across Asia and a step in the public’s long-term interest,” Kelly O’Meara, HSI’s director of companion animals and engagement, said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Most people in Asian countries do not eat dog and cat, and most find the cruel and often crime-fueled trade appalling. The animal protection movement is growing rapidly across Asia and the calls for an end to dog meat cruelty are getting louder and louder.”
Dog meat is already less common in Taiwan but also consumed in countries like the Philippines, Korea, Indonesia, and China, where there’s an annual dog meat festival.
Though HSI estimates that 10-20 million dogs are slaughtered each year in China, making up the majority of the canines consumed around the world, the organization says it’s not a common dish.
“It is not part of mainstream Chinese culinary culture,” the HSI states on its website. “There is a growing animal protection movement in the country that roundly opposes the dog meat trade, and there are frequent and documented violent clashes between dog thieves and angry dog owners.”
The HSI believes that dog meat is likely consumed by older generations and by people who believe it has health benefits. According to Reuters, people in some parts of Taiwan eat dog meat in the winter to improve body warmth and blood circulation.
Last month, the HSI made news after rescuing 55 dogs from a meat farm in Goyang, South Korea.
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