ANIMAL DISEASE OFFICIALS in Taiwan said they had confiscated more than 400 dried dog penises, testicles and various internal organs in a raid on an illegal slaughterhouse.

The Animal Disease Control Centre said a total of 435 penises were discovered in a fridge along with the other body parts, while 12 fresh dog corpses were also found in the raid at the slaughterhouse in western Yunlin county yesterday.

It was not immediately clear why the owner of the abattoir kept the body parts, a spokeswoman said. But local media suggested the man could have used the penises as an ingredient in herbal wine due to the belief they could help boost male potency.

Two live dogs were rescued during the raid and officials also discovered a number of collars, indicating some of the dead animals could have previously been pets, the spokeswoman said.

The owner of the facility, who is suspected of selling dog meat as food, has a previous record of killing animals, she said.

He could face a maximum one-year jail term and a fine of up to €26,000 if found to be a repeat violator of the animal protection law, which bans the killing of dogs.

While dog meat featured on menus in Taiwan in the past, it is now an offence to eat either dogs or cats and anyone doing so faces fines of up to €13,000 under local law.

© AFP, 2013