On June 26 Kaohsiung City Councilor Chen Hsin-yu (陳信瑜) posted an 80-second video on YouTube showing a white dog dangling from a chain around its neck for about 40 seconds before hanging to death. As the animal draws its last breath, Taiwanese soldiers can be heard saying, “Don’t become a stupid dog in your next life.” The clip ends with the soldiers shouting the Marine Corps’ motto.

The incident occurred around the Taiwan Marine Corps’ camp near Shoushan in Kaohsiung. Director of the Kaohsiung Concern Stray Animal Association Wang Jin-chun (王春金) says that stray dogs have been spotted around the camp and that one of the squad leaders told his soldiers he “didn’t want to see the white puppy anymore,” leading to the hapless dog's mistreatment.

A preliminary investigation also shows that three soldiers beat the dog with wooden sticks before hanging it alive on a chain.

On Facebook, Wang has identified the squad leader’s name as Chen You-tsai (陳祐才). Two other soldiers involved are Chang Feng-yu (張峰瑜) and Hu Chia-wei (胡家瑋). Both the association and the Kaohsiung City Animal Protection Office have launched an investigation.

Wang says Chang had already admitted to abusing and killing the dog before throwing it into the ocean. He initially agreed to make an official statement with the animal protection office. However, Su Shih-lin (蘇世霖), the director of the political warfare office, said Chang was no longer willing to cooperate and that the military would conduct its own investigation.

Su says he stopped the animal protection office from investigating because it had failed to go through appropriate procedures.

First Editor: J. Michael Cole

Second Editor: Edward White