TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A pit bull (比特犬) leaped from a moving vehicle and injured a motorcyclist during on Monday (March 17) morning's rush hour in Taipei. The incident left the motorcyclist with a significant laceration above the right knee. Officials noted with concern that this marks the second aggressive incident involving the same dog and owner within a two-week span.
The dog's owner, identified only as Mr. Hsu (徐), claimed during the initial investigation that the dog had managed to operate the vehicle's window mechanism independently, leading to the unexpected attack. "The dog opened the window itself," Hsu told authorities at the scene. He immediately pledged to cover all medical expenses and provide appropriate compensation to the injured motorcyclist.
Despite suffering injuries requiring medical attention, the motorcyclist has currently declined to pursue criminal charges against the dog's owner. This restraint comes despite troubling evidence that the same pit bull was involved in a nearly identical incident on March 6, when it jumped from Hsu's vehicle and bit another motorcyclist traveling on a Taipei street.
Law enforcement officials have launched a formal investigation and are meticulously reviewing street surveillance footage to establish a definitive sequence of events. Simultaneously, the Taipei City Animal Protection Office (台北市動物保護處) has opened its own inquiry, which could result in substantial financial penalties under Taiwan's animal protection statutes. Sources within the office indicated that authorities are considering the more severe option of confiscating the animal, though they emphasized that no final determination has been reached.
The incidents highlight ongoing concerns about pit bull regulation in Taiwan. The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA, 農業部) implemented comprehensive restrictions in 2020 specifically targeting aggressive dog breeds, with particular emphasis on pit bulls. These regulations mandate that such animals must be accompanied by an adult handler, restrained on a leash not exceeding 1.5 meters in length, and fitted with appropriate muzzles in all public settings. The government further strengthened these measures in 2021 by officially classifying pit bulls as a prohibited breed, banning both their breeding within Taiwan and their importation from abroad.
