Two Taiwanese men – a 68-year-old man and his 44-year-old nephew – from Miaoli County, western Taiwan, were arrested on Thursday for allegedly providing stray and adopted dogs to a 70-year-old dog meat trader from Taichung County, who hired a Vietnamese migrant to slaughter the animals.
The two men, surnamed Chiu, were suspected by concerned neighbors of capturing stray dogs. The neighbors reported that dogs disappeared after entering the Chiu home in Tongxiao Town, the Taiwan Apple Daily reported.
After receiving the tip-off, police visited the uncle and nephew, whom records showed had taken 20 dogs from a dog adoption center.
Officers, who failed to find any tools for trapping or capturing dogs, were told by the pair that they sent the adopted dogs to be used by friends as guard dogs.
Police continued their investigations, and the Chius were seen frequently visiting the Dajia District of Taichung, where they went to the home of an elderly man surnamed Chuang. Dogs they took with them on these trips were then reportedly taken to a nearby derelict house.
In the house officers discovered a pungent smell, bloodstains, old collars, skulls and other dog remains.
After being placed under arrest, the Chius told the police that they were hired by Chuang who would pay them NT$300 (US$9.80) for each dog they delivered. The arrested Vietnamese migrant said that for slaughtering the animals he could also receive NT$300 per dog.
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