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After ongoing talks with PETA and other animal protection groups, the Taiwan government has proposed rule changes that, if enacted, would impose the world's toughest restrictions to enforce care standards for animals used in experiments, bringing new penalties for institutions that do not comply.
The proposed rule changes would penalize institutions that allow animals to suffer in laboratories and require an immediate pause on approving any new experiments at facilities that fail inspections until they fix the problems, putting Taiwan on the vanguard of institutional animal care enforcement.
The proposals directly affect Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees, panels that review and approve experiments on animals. The committees are the last line of defense for animals in laboratories, designed to ensure that their treatment adheres to at least the minimum standards established by law.
Under the new rule, these committees must withhold approval of any animal use applications when institutions do not comply with relevant animal welfare regulations and receive poor inspection grades. If the committees don’t fulfill their duties, the new rule also states that this would increase inspections by authorities and jeopardize the institutions’ chances at receiving governmental funding.
When the institutions don’t comply with the rules and animal care committees fail, animals often experience prolonged suffering, untreated injuries or illness, repeated procedures without adequate justification, and continued use even at institutions already cited for substandard conditions. Taiwan's new rules aim to change that, encouraging compassion and penalizing cruelty to animals.
A 60-day public comment period is underway, ending June 13.
What You Can Do
PETA sent a letter to Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture urging it to finalize and enforce these compassionate rule changes. Please join us by TAKING ACTION below.
After you take action, you’ll see an easy way to share this information. Please ask five friends or relatives to support this campaign!