Pet store sparks outrage locking dog in storage box after closing
A pet shop in Taichung has come under fire after a passer-by witnessed that staff had locked a dog in a storage box after closing. In the video taken by the eyewitness, the dog could be heard barking loudly and repeatedly forcing itself against the walls of the container, even knocking against the glass panel of the storefront. The dog was obviously distressed, and worse, there wasn’t even water left inside. Last year, another outlet of the same franchise had killed a client’s cat after leaving it in a dryer box for too long after grooming.
Why is this storage box in the pet shop moving?
Turns out, there’s a dog inside frantically pushing against it.
A shopkeeper swiftly returns after being notified of the situation.
- Is it for sale?
- Yes.
- It’s really not nice to treat it so.
- Or perhaps you’d like to take it home?
The eyewitness asked why the dog wasn’t kept in a cage but in a storage box.
- Small dogs have thinner legs. If you leave it in a steel cage and the leg gets caught in the openings overnight, it’s actually more dangerous.
The pet shop is a chain store in Dali District, Taichung. On Monday night, a passer-by noticed that a dog was locked in a storage box.
Chiang Ho-shu
Taichung City Councilor (TPP)
They only punched a few holes through the lid, and none on the four walls. They’ve kept the dog in a closed-off space. This makes the dog nervous.
The pet store was already closed when the eyewitness passed by, so she reported the incident to the city government’s animal protection, and called another outlet of the chain to get in touch with a shopkeeper. When the shopkeeper arrived, he explained that the dog was kept in a storage box so it wouldn’t get caught in the mesh it’s standing on, were it kept in a cage instead. The eyewitness offered to pay for a non-slip mat for the dog, but the store declined, and then brought the dog to another cage with a mat.
Voice of eyewitness
Dali District, Taichung
The pet store didn’t even bother to get a cage for smaller dogs. They could at least place a plastic mat. It’s so simple, but they still didn’t bother.
A vet says that the holes on the lid were too small, which would lead the box to accumulate a high concentration of carbon dioxide. Moreover, there’s no water inside the box, which could cause heatstroke. The dog could also step on its own excrements while confined, leading to high levels of anxiety.
Hsieh Cheng-nan
Veterinarian
What they did to the dog was like locking a person in a prison cell or a brig. It’s more like punishment.
It’s not the first time for this pet store franchise to come under fire for animal mistreatment. Last year, another chain left a client’s cat in a pet dryer box for too long and ended up killing it. Now, it’s caused public outrage again for leaving a puppy for sale in a storage box overnight. The owner of the outlet admitted not adhering to best practices, but otherwise refused to be interviewed. Animal protection officers had inspected the store after receiving a report, and said that the storeowner will be punished according to law.
Voice of Juan Fei-yu
Taichung City Animal Protection Office
Businesses that violate the required facilities regulations may be fined between NT$40,000 and NT$200,000. If they fail to improve the situation within the specified period, they may be fined for each violation. If they are fined three times, their license will be revoked.
Meanwhile, netizens have flocked to the shop’s Google Maps profile, and even changed the name by adding the words “animal abuse” to raise awareness of the store’s and franchise’s malpractices.
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#pets #dogs #cats #animalabuse #adoptdontshop
2026-03-24
