Pet owner fined for stuffing large dog into small backpack

Animal welfare authorities will fine the owner of a husky that was stuffed into a backpack after police tracked the man down based on pictures taken by witnesses.

Pictures surfaced on Taiwan’s social media website Dcard yesterday, showing a young husky bent over uncomfortably in a small, transparent backpack carried by a motorcyclist in Xinxing District, Kaohsiung City. The pictures quickly went viral as outraged animal lovers shared the images, calling for the pet’s owner to be found and punished.

Based on the pictures, the Kaohsiung City Animal Protection Office determined that an act of animal abuse had occurred. Animal protection officials enlisted the help of police to track down the owner of the motorcycle via the license plate.

The owner of the motorcycle was confirmed to be owner of the dog. The man admitted to stuffing the 5-month-old husky into the backpack. Animal welfare workers examined the dog and found it to be healthy and without injury. However, the backpack was only suitable for carrying such a breed of dog up to the age of three months. Stuffing a 5-month-old husky into such a bag constituted an act of animal cruelty and the owner was liable to be fined between a minimum of NT$15,000 and a maximum of NT$75,000.

The Animal Protection Office said that when owners carry pets in a crate or pet carrier, they should use a container appropriate to the size of the pet. The container should be well ventilated and large enough for the animal to stretch its limbs.

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