Upgrading from "objects" to "living beings"? Taiwan's Ministry of Justice launches research into the legal status of animals.

Taiwan's Ministry of Justice recently held a symposium on "Reviewing the Legal Status of Animals," chaired by Acting Director-General Hsieh Chih-ming. Participating groups included several animal protection organizations, the Central Livestock Association, and the Pet Traders Association.

When a dog or cat that has been a family companion for over a decade is injured, how should the law view them? Are they treated as property like tables, chairs, or refrigerators, or as living beings with a special status?

On May 26, 2026, Taiwan's Ministry of Justice convened the second phase of a symposium on "Reviewing the Legal Status of Animals," inviting proposer Angela Kao, the Animal Protection Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, and representatives from various animal protection groups, experts, and scholars to discuss the issue. Participating groups included the Animal Society Research Association, the Republic of China Animal Protection Association, the Taiwan Animal Protection Administrative Oversight Alliance, the Animal Law Research Association, and the Care for Life Association, among others. The aim was to re-examine the legal status of animals in civil law from legal, social, and animal welfare perspectives.

This meeting originated from a proposal on the public policy online participation platform: "Amend the law immediately! The Civil Code should recognize pets as living beings, and medical care must be transparent!" The proposer argued that the current legal system that treats dogs and cats as "properties" should be reviewed, and that a legal framework that is more in line with modern social values should be established, taking into account international trends.

During the meeting, various groups presented different viewpoints. Some participants focused on tort compensation issues, hoping that the law could reflect the actual emotional loss suffered by owners when their companion animals are injured or die. Others focused on inheritance, care arrangements, and pet trust systems, hoping to prevent dogs and cats from being left unattended after their owners' deaths. Some animal groups also advocated for equal status for all animals.

Lorraine Lu, the Taiwan representative of the World Dog Alliance, pointed out that many countries internationally have incorporated the concept of "animals are not things" into their civil codes. For example, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria have explicitly stipulated that "animals are not articles," while France, Spain, and Portugal define animals as "beings with sentient beings." These reforms have not overturned the existing civil law system, but rather legally acknowledged the special characteristics of animals that distinguish them from ordinary property.

Lorraine Lu stated that the goal is not to grant dogs and cats the same legal personhood as humans, but rather to have the law recognize the fundamental difference between companion animals and ordinary property, in order to resolve long-standing issues of compensation and inheritance. Regarding the "pet trust" system, which already exists overseas, many long-time pet owners worry about their dogs and cats being left without care after their death. They contact animal welfare organizations or banks hoping to make proper arrangements for them, but due to the lack of clear legal support, its practical implementation faces many limitations.

It is worth noting that the Animal Protection Division of the Ministry of Agriculture stated at the meeting that the revised Animal Protection Act plans to explicitly state in Article 1 that "animals are sentient beings" and will simultaneously increase the criminal penalties for animal cruelty. This policy direction is also seen as an important development in Taiwan's animal protection legislation.

After two hours of discussion, the Ministry of Justice did not reach a specific conclusion, but stated that it will continue to collect opinions from all sectors and international data to further study the relevant issues. Among them, how to define the scope of "animals" in the future law, and whether to distinguish between companion animals and other animal categories, have become important topics for the competent authorities to study in the future.

Although there is still a long way to go before actual legislation is enacted, this symposium signifies that discussions on the legal status of dogs and cats in Taiwan have officially moved from grassroots advocacy to the central government's legal research phase. For the World Dog Alliance, which has long been advocating for improving the legal status of dog and cat companion animals, this is also an important step worthy of continued attention.