Man fined Dh11,000 for sending cat via postal service!

• He said he could no longer take care of the cat.

A man in Taiwan has been fined $1,952 for mailing a cat via an express postal service.

According to a Taiwanese news website, UDN, the 33-year-old man - identified by his surname Yang - was fined NT$60,000 earlier this month for violating the Taiwan Animal Protection Act by posting a Scottish fold cat in a box to an animal shelter in Banciao District.

Since the cat had not been vaccinated for rabies, he was fined an additional NT$30,000 ($1,000) for violating the Statute for Prevention and Control of Infectious Animal Diseases.

The man was identified, after a thorough investigation, by authorities through the delivery service and police CCTV footage.

Yang said he had tried to give the cat away because he no longer had time to look after it. Talking about the cat's leg injury, he added that the cat's mobility problems had not improved after numerous therapies.

Director of the animal authority, Chen Yuan-chuan, condemned the incident, saying: "An animal can suffocate in an insufficiently ventilated container, has no access to clean water and can become distressed."

He urged people to follow the correct, legal channels, in the event that they have decided they can no longer care for their pet: through the official office or an authorised shelter.