A large-scale incident of Shiba Inu abandonment has occurred in Hsinchu County, Taiwan. Since yesterday, unidentified individuals have been abandoning Shiba Inu dogs along County Road 118, starting from Guanxi and Xinpu and moving southward. The abandoned dogs' presence has now extended to Miaoli's Toufen and Zhunan areas.
The Hsinchu County Stray Animal Care Association has received multiple reports and launched an emergency rescue operation. The Hsinchu County Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office has already taken in eight Shiba Inu dogs. Authorities suspect the abandonment may be linked to illegal breeders.
Local residents alerted Hsinchu County Councilor Zhu Jianming, who has long been concerned with animal protection issues. Zhu reported that starting from early yesterday morning, many Shiba Inu dogs were found abandoned along the 118 County Road. Upon receiving the reports, Zhu and the Stray Animal Care Association investigated and discovered unknown vehicles discarding the dogs along the route.
Huang Xuanfu, Vice Chairman of the Stray Animal Care Association, stated that at 7 a.m. yesterday, they received a report of two Shiba Inu near the Shiguang Police Station. When volunteers arrived, only one dog remained; the other was suspected to have been taken by someone unauthorized. Around 8 a.m., another report came in about a wandering Shiba Inu on Ziqiang North Road. After comparing multiple clues, it is believed that the dogs were abandoned in pairs by unknown individuals driving along the road, showing clear and deliberate patterns.
Huang added that the abandoned Shiba Inu are mostly adult dogs aged between 3 and 7 years. One female dog showed signs of having given birth multiple times. Most of the dogs are in good physical condition. This morning, another dog was reported found, with sightings now extending into Miaoli.
Councilor Zhu Jianming said police reviewed surveillance footage and identified the vehicle used to abandon the dogs as coming from New Taipei City. The evidence has been handed over to the Animal Protection Office for investigation. Most of the abandoned dogs are female, suggesting the involvement of breeding operations. Zhu condemned the breeders' actions as extremely malicious, emphasizing that dogs should not be abandoned simply because they are no longer economically valuable. None of the abandoned Shiba Inu have microchips.
The Hsinchu County Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office confirmed they have taken in eight Shiba Inu—seven females and one male. The dogs will undergo health checks and behavioral assessments. If no original owners come forward to claim them, the dogs will be put up for adoption according to the law.
The office stressed that abandoning animals is illegal under Articles 5 and 29 of the Animal Protection Act, with fines up to NT$230,000. If illegal breeding or improper abandonment is involved, responsible parties will be prosecuted accordingly.
The mass abandonment has sparked heated discussion online. Some netizens reported seeing wandering Shiba Inu near Lianhua Temple in Xinpu. Witnesses noted that the dogs do not bark, speculating that their vocal cords might have been cut. Many expressed outrage, calling the abandonment a cruel act likely linked to breeders shutting down operations. Compassionate individuals have also come forward to report and offer to adopt the dogs.
Animal protection groups and the Animal Protection Office urge the public not to take in unclaimed Shiba Inu found in Guanxi, Xinpu, Toufen, Zhunan, or surrounding areas on their own. Instead, they should immediately report to relevant authorities to prevent the dogs from becoming stray again or suffering harm or illegal possession.
