A Kaohsiung woman has been sentenced to 30 days in prison for killing her pet guinea pig in a fit of rage last year.
According to the Kaohsiung District Court ruling issued on March 15, the woman surnamed Chiang (?) displayed cruelty to an animal when she violently slammed her pet to the ground three times during a quarrel with someone at a market in the city on Aug. 27, 2021.
Bystanders in Liuhe Tourist Night Market, who witnessed the woman’s treatment of her pet guinea pig, reported the matter to the relevant authorities, the court said.
The guinea pig later died of organ failure that resulted from the physical trauma it had suffered, and Chiang was subsequently indicted on charges of animal cruelty, according to the court.
In the ruling at the district court’s Summary Division Mediation Center, the judge cited modern standards of animal welfare, saying that Chiang’s actions were extremely cruel.
The court also took into consideration her confession to the offense for which she was arrested and her record of drug use and vandalism, according to the verdict.
Chiang was sentenced to 30 days in prison, which can be commuted to a fine, and she was fined NT$200,000 (US$6,988), according to the court ruling that can still be appealed.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel