The "Everyone Kennel" in Miaoli, Taiwan, is accused of abusing 290 dogs, sparking ongoing controversy between animal rights activists and the county government.
- ernestau
- Nov 18
- 4 min read
In October 2025, the "Everyone Kennel," a breeding farm in Miaoli County, Taiwan, run by a veterinarian surnamed Hsieh, was reported by animal protection groups. The groups accused the farm of illegally removing the vocal cords and nails of most of its more than 200 purebred dogs, and of forcing older, sick female dogs over seven years old to give birth. This sparked widespread public concern. The incident quickly escalated, and several dog-loving celebrities questioned the county magistrate on Facebook, prompting Miaoli County Magistrate Chung Tung-chin to address the county government's investigation, penalties, and the dogs' placement three times.
More than a month has passed since the incident broke out. The dogs are being spayed/neutered and rehomed in batches, and the relevant officials have been punished, but many questions remain to be clarified. The following is a timeline of the entire incident:
October: Report and Exposure → Preliminary Investigation
The incident began when animal rights groups reported "Everyone Kennel," a breeding farm in Gongguan Township, Miaoli County, for its long-standing dirty and unsanitary conditions, excessively high dog density, and the alleged cruel surgery of having its vocal cords removed on many dogs, yet it was rated as an excellent business by the county government. After related videos and photos were exposed, they aroused strong public suspicion.
On October 20, the Miaoli County Animal Protection and Quarantine Center (AVC) conducted an inspection and found 290 purebred dogs being kept in iron cages, including elderly and sick female dogs and puppies; about 90% of the dogs had their vocal cords removed, and some of the female dogs were over 7 years old, which clearly violated the Animal Protection Act.
October 21: The county government initiated the procedures for revoking licenses and imposing fines.
The Miaoli County Government announced the revocation of Everyone Kennel's "Special Pet Property License" and initiated subsequent administrative penalties. Due to multiple violations, the total fine amounted to NT$4.809 million.
Early November: The whereabouts of the dogs became the focus of public scrutiny.
On November 5th, animal rights groups further revealed to the media that the county government only confiscated 85 elderly dogs that were no longer of breeding value, while another 188 dogs still capable of breeding were suspected of being "transferred to other breeding farms" by the operators (the number of dogs no longer matched the initial estimate). The news caused public outrage, questioning the county government's improper handling, which resulted in the dogs re-entering the breeding chain. The investigation revealed that the 188 dogs were arranged through the "Miaoli County Pet Business Association" and temporarily placed in "2 dog farms in Changhua and 4 dog farms in Kaohsiung".
November 14: Miaoli County Magistrate Chung Tung-chin issued a statement.
In response to public criticism, County Magistrate Chung Tung-chin posted on Facebook, stating, "From the moment the licenses were abolished, all dogs are legally considered ordinary dogs. No matter where the owners send the dogs, they must be spayed/neutered and tracked, and breeding is prohibited." However, this statement failed to quell public concerns about the "subsequent whereabouts of the 188 dogs."
Mid-November: The county government launched a large-scale sterilization and adoption program.
On November 14, under public pressure, the Miaoli County Agriculture Bureau began transferring dogs from dog farms in other counties back to the Miaoli Shelter. However, only 173 dogs were transferred, a shortfall of 15. The Animal Disease Control Center stated that 6 dogs died en route and 9 dogs had been adopted by residents at the shelter. The county government said it would monitor and track the dogs.
On November 16th, the Animal Disease Control Center officially announced that the first batch of 85 dogs aged 7 and above had completed spaying/neutering, microchipping, and vaccinations. They would be given homes through a public lottery on November 19th at the Animal Protection Education Park. Nearly 100 people participated in the lottery, and 52 dogs successfully found new homes, achieving a 60% adoption rate. The second batch of dogs under 6 years old will be given homes after they complete their spaying/neutering procedures.
Suspicious points in the case and remedial measures
On November 18, the county government announced the disciplinary results. Zhang Junyi, the director of the Animal Disease Control Center who had served for 13 years, was dismissed and reassigned as a specialist in the Agriculture Department. Related section chiefs and technicians were also reassigned and sent for performance reviews. However, several questions remain unanswered, including: why is there a discrepancy in the number of dogs? Was sending them to dog farms in other counties to allow the owners to divest themselves? Did the Animal Disease Control Center's delay in accepting the complaint involve collusion between officials and businesses? Has the fine of NT$4.809 million been paid?
In fact, the "Everyone Kennel" incident exposed not only the illegal behavior of individual operators, but also reflected the institutional gaps in Taiwan's management of breeding farms and administrative tracking system. In particular, the perpetrator was a licensed veterinarian (who ran Everyone Animal Hospital), yet he performed cruel surgeries on dogs, such as cutting their vocal cords and removing their nails, without any way to revoke his veterinary license. This shows that the Veterinarian Act must be amended as soon as possible to remedy this major oversight.
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