The purchasing of new unregistered pit bulls has now been outlawed in Taiwan. The breeding and even owning of the animals has also been made illegal, unless ownership is registered.
As of today (March 1st) people will no longer be able to buy or adopt pit bulls, as they have been listed as animals which people are prohibited from importing or breeding. The government cited frequent attacks by the breed as the reason for the ban.
Those that already own pit bulls must register their animals before February 28th of next year. They must also take the dogs to be registered and microchipped to better keep track of the population in Taiwan. People are also not allowed to continue breeding these dogs.
Illegal sales of pit bulls will be punished with fines between NT$50,000 and NT$250,000. Additional regulations require owners to keep their pit bulls on leashes no longer than 1.5 meters and to muzzle the dogs while in public. Violators of these ordinances will be punished with fines from NT$30,000 to NT$150,000.
Due to the very low number of pit bulls in Taiwan, this will not affect many individuals. However, for those that love the breed this is surely hard news to swallow.