Taiwan is in an uproar after claims that Wilson, a search-and-rescue dog credited with saving lives in the 2024 Hualien earthquake, was abused to death rather than killed in a training fall.

• Wilson's official cause of death, a fall during training, is now disputed by allegations of abuse.
• Actress Chen Pei-chi joined the public anger, saying anyone who harms children or animals forfeits the right to talk about human rights.
• She stopped short of calling it murder, warning that online claims often turn out to be false before an investigation finishes.
• The bigger problem is the system: weak penalties, patchy enforcement, and little life-education in schools.
• Campaigners want the legislature to rewrite the Animal Protection Act so animals are no longer treated as their owner's property.

Outlook: Pressure will build on lawmakers to reopen the animal protection law while the investigation into Wilson's death continues.