Owner gets 35 days in jail after pit bull injures woman

A Kaohsiung man has been sentenced to 35 days in jail after a woman was injured by the man’s unleashed pit bull terrier.

 

The incident happened on Aug. 3, 2021, when the man, surnamed Chen (陳), was walking his pit bull terrier and Thai ridgeback without leashes.

 

During their walk, Chen’s pit bull terrier attacked a Shiba Inu belonging to a woman surnamed Li (李).

 

Li then tried to break the dogs apart and fell to the ground.

 

Hospital reports revealed that Li sustained injuries to her head, right arm, and both legs. She was also diagnosed with dizziness, acute stress, and anxiety.

 

Following her diagnosis, Li reported Chen to the authorities.

 

While Chen admitted wrongdoing on his part, he failed to reach a settlement with Li.

 

The judge at Taiwan Ciaotou District Court who tried the case determined that Chen had not performed his duties as a pit bull terrier owner properly. The judge deemed that both of Chen’s dogs should have been leashed.

 

The judge added that Li and her pet were attacked due to Chen’s negligence, causing the owner to sustain physical and emotional distress.

 

As a result, Chen was sentenced to 35 days in jail, but the penalty can be commuted to a fine.

 

The need for Chen to leash his pit bull terrier is based on the Animal Protection Act, under which dogs categorized as “aggressive” can only be walked in public by an adult and must be properly leashed and muzzled.

 

Six breeds of dogs are categorized by the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture (COA) as “aggressive”: the American pit bull terrier (APBT) and mixed APBT, Tosa, Neapolitan mastiff, Brazilian mastiff, Dogo Argentino, and Molossian hound.

 

Those who violate the act are subject to fines of NT$30,000 (US$1,084) to NT$150,000.

 

Recent amendments decreed that starting on March 1, 2022, pit bull terriers are banned from being kept as a pet or imported.

 

Those who own pit bull terriers before that deadline must register their ownership of the animals with local authorities before Feb. 28, 2023, or face a fine of up to NT$250,000 as well as have their dogs be seized and taken to public shelters, according to the COA.

 

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel