Taxi driver detained in investigation of deaths of cats he deserted

New Taipei, March 2 (CNA) The New Taipei District Court granted prosecutors' motion on Sunday to detain a taxi driver who is being investigated for the deaths of seven cats he abandoned during the week.

The taxi driver, a man surnamed Hsieh (謝), admitted to police after being arrested Friday that he brought the seven cats to a location in New Taipei's Banqiao District a day earlier, but insisted that they were alive when he left them there.

In filing their motion to detain Hsieh, prosecutors said there was a strong likelihood Hsieh violated the Animal Protection Act by abandoning the cats, resulting in their deaths, and that he could tamper with evidence in the case.

The court agreed, and ordered that Hsieh be held incommunicado over concerns of witness or evidence tempering to ensure that evidence would be preserved.

Under the act, an animal owner should hand over unwanted animals to shelters or local authorities, with abandonment being an offense punishable by a fine of NT$30,000-NT$150,000 (US$910-US$4,552).

If an animal owner fails to meet the duty of care listed in the act, and the animal ends up badly injured or dead, the owner may face up to two years in prison and a fine of NT$200,000-NT$2 million, according to Article 25 of the act.

Usually, suspects are detained if they are suspected of committing offenses subject to a minimum five-year jail term, but under the Code of Criminal Procedure, individuals can also be detained if they are seen as posing a flight risk or likely to tamper with evidence.

According to local police on Friday, the taxi driver said he gave up the cats because of financial difficulties and pressure from his family, hoping that other people would find and take care of them.

The cats were already dead when they were spotted and reported to the local authorities, according to the New Taipei Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office, which said it was notified about the incident at 6 a.m. Thursday.

The dead cats were found with broken ribs and scalps, as well as puncture wounds in their organs, which the office said the cats were likely killed by outside forces.

Also on Sunday, the office announced its findings that indicate Hsieh could be breeding cats at home illegally.

In addition to 16 other cats, a police search found around 40 cat cages at Hsieh's top-floor apartment, where vaccines, antibiotics and birth-inducing oxytocin were scattered around the premises, the office said.

Hsieh's neighbors also told investigators that he has been selling cats for some time, with one neighbor confirming a past purchase of one cat for NT$2,000.

Hsieh admitted to breeding cats and putting them up for adoption for a price and to administering vaccines and medicine, the office said.

According to the office, breeding animals without a license carries a fine of NT$100,000-NT$3 million, while anyone administrating veterinary drugs without a veterinarian certificate could face a fine of NT$100,000-NT$500,000 under the Veterinarian Act.

The office had already planned to fine Hsieh because none of the cats found at his home had microchips implanted or been vaccinated against rabies, violating the Animal Protection Act and the Act on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Animal Diseases, respectively.

The office had not determined how much to fine Hsieh as of Sunday.